The Heiress
by vanessarae
Summary: Bella 'The Heiress' Swan has her world rocked when workingman/trust-fund-baby Edward Cullen dares to tell her 'no'. Come, watch the fireworks. AH, OOC, canon pairings. E/B
1. Heiress Gets Schooled

**Sooo...here's my new story. Told you one was coming. But, it is not the collab I mentioned. That is held off for now, until AmeryMarie finishes her story Bad Habit/New Habit. This is a fun one, swear. You will notice that this is a short chapter. They will all be under 3K words, pretty much. I'm hoping that will force me to write more frequently, and therefore update more frequently. Makes it easier on my beta-lovelies, too. *celebrates***

**I hope you guys like this as much as I do, lol. It is fun to to venis_envy, Christy, Red, and Tosh for pre-work and reading on this.  
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**Without further ado, I present, _The Heiress._**

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Bella Swan awoke Sunday morning (okay, Sunday afternoon) to an upside-down view of her bedroom. Groaning, she looked around, surveying the destruction like a tornado might view the path it just ripped through.

Her Hermes bag was precariously hanging onto the wingback chair in the corner, and her clothes had been peeled off one by one and dropped in the exact spot they had been removed, leaving a trail of cloth crumbs from the door to the bed.

She could see one red sole of whatever pair of Louboutin heels she wore last night peeking out from behind her closet door, and God only knew where the other was.

She glanced down at her body, only to see her bottom half clad in lace and silk. _Well at least she _wore_ underwear last night._ No bra, but that was because the shirt she had worn hadn't required one.

_Must. Get. Up._ Bella forced herself to sit up, flinching when her vision started swimming and her stomach lurched. _Well, that's a problem_.

She held still for a moment, allowing the churning feelings to pass and her vision to return to normal. Standing up, she stumbled to the bathroom, making sure to hold onto any inanimate object that might support her weight on the way. After a few mis-steps, she finally made it through the doorway.

Reaching to flick the light switch, she quickly shut it back off when she was momentarily blinded.

"Agh, fuck!" Her hand flew up to her face to cover her eyes, in the classic delayed reaction, seeing as how the lights were off already. "Jesus Christ, this is gonna be a long day."

Bella reached into the shower and spun the knobs, allowing a fresh waterfall to pour down. She slid under the water, tilting her face up into the spray. Moaning at the wonderful way the hot water soothed her muscles, she took her time with bathing, just reveling in the feeling.

Bella realized that she had been standing motionless in the water, for who knew how long, and extended her arm to turn the knobs off. She grabbed a fluffy, white towel and carefully patted down her body to ensure the water soaked into her skin. Her eyes rolled when her sister's voice echoed through her head: _Proper moisturizing is important to keeping skin looking young!_

Wrapping a long, cashmere robe around her, Bella set out to her living room--one of the perks of owning a hotel chain is living in one. She had an entire suite to herself, and even had a waitstaff to cater to her every whim. Believe you me, she took entire advantage of that specific perk.

Michael, her personal butler, stepped forward to present the morning paper and her breakfast--black coffee and frosted strawberry Pop-tarts. Ah, such simple tastes. One would never guess that was what she liked, if one were to judge solely on the reports and stories about her in the media. Perez Hilton and TMZ would have her eating Beluga caviar on toasted, gourmet bagels baked fresh every morning.

Bella sat her tray on the couch next to her, and opened the paper instead. Michael didn't bother waiting for the thanks that he knew would never come, stepping back into the kitchen to continue preparing the menu and grocery lists for the week. Mrs. Stanley, Bella's chef, saw him re-enter and knowingly stated, "One day, she'll appreciate what she's got." Michael just pursed his lips, raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, as if to say, 'Highly unlikely_'._

Back in the living area, Bella tossed aside the sections of the paper that she wasn't interested in, and went straight for the gossip columns. Weekends usually had her starring in no fewer than three articles, most times with an accompanying photo in at least one. She loved to get a laugh at what they said, because it was either complete speculation, or one hundred percent, spot-on. Which was which, she never cleared up. It was more fun to keep them guessing.

She found what she was looking for, and scanned the headlines, looking for her nickname--_The Heiress_. It was fitting, as she was exactly that--the heiress to the Swan hotel chain fortune. Charles Swan, her father--known to friends and family as 'The Chief'--had been left the inheritance when her grandfather passed away recently. As the oldest child, she was now in line to inherit.

Her eyes lit up when she spotted the first headline--right smack dab in the middle of the page, with a collage of pictures that looked to be from the night before. Bella had gone to one of the swanky, en vogue clubs that was sure to have paparazzi stalking nearby. Why else would she go? If you weren't seen and noticed, it was a wasted night. Well...according to _some_.

She scrutinized the pictures on the page, recognizing herself, Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper. There was another man that she didn't know, but it looked like she was talking with him...wait, no...she seemed to be arguing with him. Her eyes quickly skimmed over the headline: _**The Heiress Gets Schooled**_. Bella cocked her head to one side and thought, _What in the hell went on last night? And who was this man in the pictures?_

Reading the article seemed like the best option, so at least she would know how things looked to the public...she'd have to call Rosalie or Alice when she was done to find out what _really_ happened. _Should have stopped after the fifth cosmo._

Bella turned her attention back to the article, and read.

_AP_

_Seattle, WA_

_--If you weren't at SEE Sound Lounge last night, you missed a rare event. Isabella Swan, better known as 'The Heiress', had her Louboutins handed to her when a man turned her down after she asked him to buy her a drink. According to an eyewitness, Heiress was holding court in the VIP area when the young man passed by. She leaned out of the doorway and stopped him, asking him to go get her a drink. He laughed before saying, "I don't think so." Heiress was taken aback, shocked that someone would deny her request. She seemed to question the man again, and he only laughed at her before responding and walking away. This reporter sure wishes he had been there to see that, because occurrences like that resemble unicorns: magical and rare!_

By the time Bella was done reading, her blood was boiling. Obviously, the pictures showed that something had happened between her and the man, but she had no idea if that was really what transpired.

Angrily slamming the paper down on the table, Bella stood up and started pacing. She didn't normally care all that much about the articles, besides being entertaining. But this one...that man...there was something nagging at her. She decided to call Alice in hopes she could tell her more.

*****

Alice picked up on the first ring, expecting Bella's call. "Yes, it's true."

Bella was bewildered for a moment, as she hadn't even said a word yet. "I know what you're calling about. Last night. Yes, the article is true."

Still not having uttered a syllable, Bella pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it for a moment. Placing it back, she said, "Are your magical powers getting stronger? I mean, we already know you are eerily clairvoyant, but can you read my thoughts now, too?"

Alice laughed teasingly, replying, "No, _Heiress_, I just know your routine. You read the paper already, and don't remember what happened last night. Figured I'd put it out there before you could beat around the bush."

"Who was the guy?"

"No clue. Just someone walking by."

"And he actually told me 'no'?"

Alice laughed again, "Suuuuuuure did."

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"Why? You gonna give him a piece of your mind if you ever happen to run across him again?"

"Ugh, no, I just...was he at least hot?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so. It was dark. But I'm pretty sure he was nice-looking. Had a good head of hair from what I can remember." Bella heard her front door open, and suddenly Alice's voice was in stereo.

"Nice hair, huh?"

"Yep, the kind you want to run your fingers through." Alice finished speaking and pressed a button on her phone, hanging up the call. She floated across the room and gracefully eased herself into an over-stuffed chair. Alice also lived in the hotel, though she didn't find it necessary to have a full-time waitstaff on-hand. She had the suite on the floor below Bella, and utilized the same hotel staff that the other guests did.

Bella glared at her sister for a beat longer before huffing and plopping back down onto the couch. "Alice, I've never been turned down before. Guys are usually more than happy to do things for me. How could this happen?"

Alice laughed, a high, musical sound, before answering, "Sweet-pea, you act like the guy took your new puppy out back and shot him. It was just a guy. Just a rejection. Honestly, I'm shocked it hasn't happened before now."

Bella made a '_what the fuck'_ face at Alice, and Alice stuck her tongue out in return. "What? I'm just saying, it's not like you are all that nice to them. You just expect them to be your lapdogs or something. Maybe it's about time you met your match. Too bad you didn't get a name...I could have used the entertainment when he turned you down again."

"Oh my God, you are looking to get slapped this morning! Or afternoon...whatever!" Bella scrunched up her face and rolled her eyes at Alice, who had picked up the Business section of the paper to check over the stock quotes and figures.

Alice had a special knack for choosing the right stocks at the right times, and therefore had a good-sized padding to round out her trust fund. She also helped out the family by providing advice to their stockbroker, but if you asked him, he was just great at his job.

"Whatever, I'm over it. You want something to eat?" Alice shook her head no, and also let Bella know that she could get her own refreshments if she so desired.

"Why don't you give Michael and Mrs. Stanley the afternoon off? It's Sunday, after all."

"The day off? What if I need something?"

Alice stared at Bella briefly, trying to discern if sarcasm was laced in her statement. Deciding it wasn't, she answered, "Are you out of your mind? You're a big girl. You can handle yourself for an afternoon. I'm going to tell them to take off. Jesus." She rolled her eyes and stood up, making her way into the kitchen. Bella could hear her chiming voice speaking with the other two people, and their thanks professed. She snatched up her Pop-tart and bit into it, grumbling under her breath while chewing.

Alice came back into the living room and let Bella know that her assistants had left for the day, and would return in the morning.

"Oh, and Michael told me that you should be having some packages brought up sometime this afternoon. The new fall wardrobe you ordered? He already cleared out the spring collection to make room, so you'll just need to sign for the boxes when they come."

"Ugh, I was wondering when that stuff would show up! I swear, if I had to look at those out-of-season clothes for one more day, I was going to give them to Mrs. Stanley to use for dust rags. Blech."

"You truly are something else." Alice shook her head at her sister before throwing a smirk her way. Bella was never able to stay annoyed with Alice for long, and before she knew it, she was crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue, causing both girls to dissolve into a fit of laughter.

The sisters passed the next hour by flipping through channels on Bella's flatscreen and perusing gossip magazines. It was interesting to them to see how wrong the rags got certain stories, and on the flip side, how close to home others were. What was even more interesting was that the stories that were true were always the ones no-one believed, and vice versa.

Bella was mid-channel change when her buzzer sounded, alerting her to a presence at the door. She flicked her eyes toward Alice, who merely raised an eyebrow in response.

"You were the one that sent Michael home."

"Oh. My. God. Get over yourself." Alice tossed the magazine she was reading onto the chair she had been lounging in and stood up to answer the door.

Opening it, she greeted the person standing on the other side, "Hi, you here to drop off Her Royal Highness' packages?" She raised her voice to enunciate the 'Her Royal Highness' part deliberately so Bella could hear her.

Bella merely raised an arm and extended the middle finger in Alice's direction. Alice smirked and turned back to the delivery man, patiently waiting for him to hand her the signature capture device. As he handed it over, he straightened up slightly, revealing a tall, slightly built frame with strong forearms peeking out from under his rolled-up shirtsleeves.

Alice's eyes followed his arms up to his broad shoulders and to his face, doing a double-take at his strikingly green eyes before winding up at his hair...a nice head of hair...that you would want to run your fingers through...Alice gasped loudly, startling the deliveryman and getting a reaction out of Bella as well.

"Alice, for fuck's sake, what are you doing, chiseling your name in stone? How can it take so long for someone to sign for packages?" She still hadn't turned around from her position on the couch, opting instead to just yell the words over her shoulder.

Alice made a split-second decision to have the deliveryman to help bring in the boxes, and politely asked him.

"Would you mind terribly putting these inside the doorway for me?" She gave a stunning smile that no one could turn down.

The deliveryman didn't disappoint.

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**So, let me know how you liked it. I absolutely love reviews, but I appreciate you just reading, too. ;) **

**Updates will probably be weekly at a minimum. But don't hold me to that. **


	2. Mystery Bar Man

**Hi :) **

**I'm very pleased to see the reception this has gotten. Sorry, I am posting this days later than I had intended, but between a sick kiddo and FF dot net fail, it just couldn't happen 'til tonight!!! **

**Thanks to Tosh, Red, and my pinch-betas Emma and venis_envy. Love you guys. Please enjoy some more Heiress now ;)**

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Edward Cullen briefly paused outside the suite doors to double-check the name on the packages he was to deliver. _Isabella Swan_. Yep, this was the right place.

He rang the buzzer for a two-count before taking a step back to wait for someone to answer. He could hear voices inside, but could not decipher what was being said.

The door swung open to reveal a rather short, black-haired young woman. Edward's eyes traveled up and down her lithe body briefly, then he hastily pulled out the e-sign pad to get a signature.

He looked up after extending the device toward the girl...woman...fairy...at that point, he wasn't sure. He was startled out of his reverie when she gasped loudly, and he realized she was staring at him. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, he suppressed the urge to sniff himself or wipe his face.

She recovered quickly, asking if he could help bring in the boxes; of course he would, they were obviously too much for her to handle. The beautiful smile didn't hurt, either.

He learned that her name was Alice, and she showed him where to put the boxes.

"Could you bring them in here?" She indicated a closet area inside the spacious bedroom, and he wheeled the dolly next to the doors, unloading the boxes one by one until they were all carefully stacked.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss?" Edward knew it was his job to make sure the guest was satisfied, and this case was no different.

Before Alice could answer, he heard another female voice speak up from the doorway. "You could unpack the boxes, you know. That would be a _huge_ help."

Alice's face contorted to hide the barely containable laughter that threatened to bubble up out of her throat, and Edward warily turned to view the interrupter. That voice sounded familiar...

He took in the sight of a gorgeous brunette clad in only a robe, and watched as she made her way over to her bed. She picked up the remote for the television and nonchalantly flipped it on, planting herself on the bed in relaxation. She still hadn't met his gaze, so it afforded him the opportunity to discretely check her over once.

This could only be Isabella Swan. There was something that escaped him though, as if he had met her before. He took in her heart-shaped face and large, brown eyes, then continued his perusal of her by settling his view on her lips. The hair, the face, the body...Edward realized that he _had_, in fact, come into contact with Isabella Swan before.

She was who he had effectively brushed off the night prior, at SEE. He had no idea who she was then, not that it would have made a difference. The brazen way she had practically demanded that he buy her a drink had thrown him for a loop, and instead of succumbing like she was probably used to, he had laughed and told her '_In your dreams, sweetheart_.'

The fact that she looked like a woman he normally would have approached on his own--had she not been so rude--was not lost on him at the time. He did prefer brunettes, after all.

He smiled to himself and replied to her--ahem--_request_, "In your dreams, sweetheart."

*****

Alice's eyes flew open wide at the man's retort, and it took nearly all she had in her small body to keep her snorting laughter under control. She had recognized him as the 'mystery man' from the club, but she had no idea things might take such a comical turn. She wanted to turn around so that she could make as many faces as needed, but seeing Bella's reaction to the man's brazen statement trumped that desire. This was exactly what Alice wanted; a little kink to be thrown into their daily routine. But truthfully, she felt it was exactly what Bella _needed._

Bella's movement froze, and she was no longer actually absorbing what was on the television. All she could hear was the words repeated in her head--_In your dreams, sweetheart._

She remembered that it was the exact phrase the man from the bar had used, and she methodically turned her head until she was looking at the deliveryman. Her eyes first turned to saucers, then narrowed to mere slits as she cocked her head to one side. If Edward had been a lesser man, he would have run screaming from the premises immediately.

"What did you say?"

"I think you heard me fine, honey. I was asked to deliver the boxes, not become your personal shopper." Edward gave a charming-yet-condescending smile in Bella's direction and turned back to Alice. "Alice, it was nice to meet you. I hope to see you around." Then he tipped his head in Bella's direction, gritting out, "_Heiress_", before walking to the door and exiting the suite.

Bella sat frozen on the bed, trying to process what had just happened. Alice managed to walk over to her in between guffaws, but taking in the sight of Bella's incredulous and flummoxed expression was enough to send her into a whole new fit of laughter.

Bella couldn't quite get words to form as she opened and closed her mouth, resembling a carp. She went from annoyed and confused to pissed off and indignant within a span of seconds.

"Did he _really _just say that to me? TO _ME_???? Does he not KNOW who I am? Nobody treats me like that and gets away with it." She hastily got up and ran to the door, flinging it open in her rush, and ran down the hall, hoping to catch Mystery Bar Man before he got on the elevator.

Alice waited by the door with glee, thoroughly entertained by every second of Flustered Bella. This was not an everyday occurrence.

Bella managed to catch up to the elevator as the doors were closing, and yelled out, "Wait!" A hand shot out through the doors to stop them from meeting, and Bella skidded to a stop in front of the opening.

Edward was amused by the sight of Isabella 'The Heiress' Swan doubled over with her hands on her knees, panting from the exertion of running to the elevator. Her robe had come undone slightly, and he caught an eyeful before she straightened up and re-tightened the knot of the belt. He brought his eyes back up to hers before she noticed.

Raising an expectant eyebrow at Bella, Edward forced out a low, "Yes?"

Bella crossed her arms in front of her and cocked her hip out, "Are you kidding me? You do know who I am, don't you?"

Edward let out a coughing laugh, astonished that she pulled the 'don't you know who I am' line, but managed to confirm, "Ah, yes. Yes I do."

"Well then _why_ did you just treat me that way?" Edward took a deep breath while deciding how to answer her. Apology or honesty...apology...or...honesty. Edward could not ignore the strong urge to piss her off further. The challenge mocked him until he ran with it.

"Because I don't care who you are? Because I was merely reacting to how you treated me in the first place? And as far as that goes, I could be referring to either last night _or_ just now. How many reasons do you need, Heiress?" Well, that went well.

Bella was taken aback by Edward's blatant honesty, and stammered for a few seconds before finally emitting a not-so-confident, "Do you not care that I could have you fired?! I've reported workers for less, you know. It would only take a phone call."

Edward smirked back at Bella, and cockily replied, "I have no doubt you've done exactly that, _sweetheart_; however, I have strong doubts that you will do it now. Why don't you just go back to your little palace down the hall and get your nails done, or load up your face with green goop and sip on a cocktail. You'll feel better." With a low bow and flourish of his hand, Edward stepped back and allowed the elevator doors to finally close, leaving Bella staring at the steel reflection of her hotly blushing face.

Bella's mind raced as she stood there, fists clenched at her sides, gaping at the doppelganger mocking her. She lost quite a few minutes processing what had just transpired before letting out an angry screech and turning on her heel, stalking back to her suite.

By that time, Alice had fallen on the floor from laughing so hard. She scampered away, trying to avoid Bella's kicking feet as she came through the doorway.

"_Shut up, Alice!"_ Bella stormed through the entryway, intent on getting to the phone to report Mystery Bar Man. _Shit, I never got his name_, she thought. "Alice, get your ass off the floor and help me! What was his name? I know you got it, because he said _your_ name."

Alice wiped tears from her eyes as she stood up, thankful she had put on her waterproof mascara that morning. She had a feeling it would be warranted...

"Nuh uh, I am not supplying you with a thing! That is your own fault that you never got his name." She raised her eyebrows in Bella's direction, shaking her head for emphasis.

Bella huffed, "Fine, whatever! I'll just call down to the desk and describe him, there can't be that many delivery guys that look like _that_." Her mind conjured up visions of his laughing green eyes, his thick head of unruly hair, and…that was not the tangent she wanted to get lost on.

She started off again toward the phone, but more slowly this time. "I mean, I can't believe the stuff he said to me!"

She turned around and walked backward for a few steps, still babbling, "I can't just let him get away with it!"

"Get away with what, Bella? Being right?" Alice didn't bother containing her giant smirk as she cut Bella off, pointing out that nothing he had said was really out of line. "You've just never had anyone stand up to you before, and it's driving you nuts!"

Bella floundered for words, stuttering out, "Wha-what? He's...you can't think he's right! Come on, I'm not that bad!" Alice's only response to that was an incredulous look, complete with one raised eyebrow and a cock of her head. "Okay, fine, I'm not always the most..._gracious_ person. But did I really deserve all that??"

"Wellll, yes and no. Yes, because you really did. I mean, I give you shit all the time for the same things, but you apparently ignore me. No, because I hate hearing you whine, and what just happened is definitely causing you to whine." Alice meandered back over to the chair she had previously occupied and picked up reading the trashy tabloid she had abandoned.

Bella had stopped in her tracks, second-guessing what she had been about to do. She actually started to feel something...compassion? That was new. Maybe Mystery Bar Man really needed that job. She could be the bigger person and just shake it all off, right? At least, that was what she told herself.

"I'll just...stop by the front desk on my way out later. I'm not going to waste my time on it now." It was important that Bella keep up indifferent appearances, otherwise Alice might start to suspect—

"Whatever, I know you aren't going to report him." _Damn._

No, Bella wasn't going to report him. It wasn't likely that she'd see him again, anyway, so what would it matter, right? _Right._

*****

**Ok, so, I know it was short, but.....I covered what I wanted to cover in it. Thanks for reading :).**

**Here's a few recs for you...it's possible you've read them, but if not, give 'em a shot! **

**How to Save a Life by --**this is my newest obsession. It is anything but unholy. I just want to hug and snuggle Edward and tell him everything will be okay.

**Rhapsody in B by lillybellis**--um, yes. I stayed up until 1:30am one night to get it all read. Just a warning.

**To Enchant a King by handiangel**--Tudorward, yessss.

**Little Slugger by realgirl-imaginarylife**--this Edward kind of makes me sad...but he's trying.

Ok, be off with you now! Chapter 3 is half-written, hopefully updated within another week.


	3. Turn Out the Lights

**Hello, lovely readers! Quick note: Yes, I know you probably don't like Bella right now...you kind of aren't supposed to. This first bunch of chapters is going to be all about laying the groundwork, so just stick with me a while. ;)**

**Thanks AmeryMarie for your super-duper quick beta-work, and for venis_envy for filling in for the lovely Red, who is nursing her little one back to health. Smooches, girls.**

**Enjoy!**

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After the elevator doors shut, Edward stood straight up and stumbled backward a few steps, hitting the back of the car. His hands grasped the padded metal bar behind him, and he took a deep breath. Briefly checking his mental faculties, he wondered if he was in his right mind. He replayed the things he said to Isabella and groaned, knowing that she had every right to be pissed at him. Did she deserve it? Yes. Should he have done it? Probably not.

Something about her just set him off, to the point that he obviously wasn't able to control the barrage of words leaving his mouth. He felt a need to...say _something_. She was exactly the type of girl that he tried to stay away from. Women like her were why he stayed out of the public eye. Where his family was concerned, anyway. They were the reason that he used the name 'Masen' when he introduced himself to someone. He didn't want to be immediately associated with the Cullen name.

When the name 'Cullen' was brought up, the immediate reaction was, 'Cullen? Where?' Women followed it with a clothing adjustment (paying special attention to their chests), and checking their reflections in any available surface. It would be a huge score to catch one of the Cullen brothers, and the ladies sure didn't hide their interest.

Edward was the younger of the two brothers, with Emmett being the elder Cullen son. As the youngest, Edward could get away with staying out of the spotlight. Emmett, however, was not as fortunate, at least in Edward's opinion.

Being the heir to the family fortune meant your name was known. You were a celebrity, essentially. Your picture was taken, and you were recognized upon sight. You never knew if someone was your friend for _you_, or because of your name and connections.

Edward had no interest in dealing with that, but Emmett took it in stride. He had a naturally buoyant personality that allowed him to be friends with everyone, whether he tried to or not. He was the perfect choice to be the family's public persona, because everyone loved Emmett.

And, he loved every_one_.

The perpetual bachelor, Emmett made no effort to hide it, and he made sure the women he was with were well aware of this fact and harboring no delusions of a future with him. He wasn't an idiot; he was quite cognizant of the women that were after his money. He just didn't care. He hadn't met a woman who was worth more than a day of his time so far…and had no plans of settling down in the near future.

All of this was why Edward had no problem with fading into the background now that they had moved to Seattle from Chicago. He had hopes that no one would recognize him here, and that he could just live a normal life. Financially, he didn't need to work, but he enjoyed it. He liked the feeling of accomplishment when he finished a project, and it was difficult to achieve when everyone wanted to do the work for you.

Talking the way he did to Isabella was stupid for several reasons.

One, he was on the job and it was highly unprofessional.

Two, it brought him up on her radar, which could prove to be a very, very bad thing. He purposely stayed off the grid in the seventh circle of Hell, also known as the debutante circuit. He was the polar opposite of Emmett in that regard, as he had no interest in any of the women who frequented that realm. Edward seemed more than happy to date sparingly and entertain himself between encounters.

Three...ok, fine, two reasons were all he had.

The elevator dinged, signifying Edward's arrival at the lobby level. He exited the confined space, and headed for the front desk to check the e-sign pad back in and get his next assignment.

You see, he was the hotel handyman. He did whatever odd jobs needed to be done around the building–from fixing a hole in the wall after the stay of a famous rock star, to…well, delivering packages to guest rooms.

Sighing, Edward leaned against the counter, and slowly read over the checklist set out for him that day.

_Deliver packages to snooty princess in the highest tower of the tallest castle...check._

_R__ile __up __said princess__ just__ enough to __possibly__ lose job...check._

_Get started on other jobs__,__ so as to steer clear of Mr. Banner in hope that it prolongs termination by at least a day...check._

Edward closed his eyes and shook his head lightly, once again scolding himself for acting so rashly.

Blowing out a short burst of air, he opened his eyes again, and set off to gather the needed tools for his next job. Changing the thermostat in the conference room should prove to be challenging, considering he wasn't a heating and air guy.

*****

Bella and Alice exited the penthouse after a few hours of closet organizing. Okay, Alice did the organizing while Bella directed, let's not kid ourselves.

Taking the elevator down to the lobby, they stepped off and headed toward the front desk so Bella could check for messages. She rarely ever took calls in her apartment, as the only people she wanted to talk to had her cell phone number, and nobody--aside from her father--really used her room phone.

As they passed through the open, marble-paved, central space, she thought she saw a flash of hair colored like that of the Mystery Bar Man. Stopping in her tracks, she grabbed Alice's arm to halt her forward progress. _There's no way..._

"What the sh--" Alice ceased talking when she saw the spooked look on Bella's face. "What is wrong with you? Are you having an attack or something?"

Bella gave Alice the side-eye, and cocked her head, asking, "Attack of what?"

"Well, I don't know, it just sounded good, and it would explain the odd expression on your face."

Bella huffed and rolled her eyes, "No, I just thought...ugh, never mind. It's stupid. I must still be recovering from last night. Thought I saw...doesn't matter. Let's move."

Alice cautiously followed her as she stalked her way through the well-lit grand foyer, before arriving at the desk. The girl behind it startled over the sudden appearance of the hotel's heir-apparent, but quickly recovered, querying, "What can I do for you today, Ms Swan?"

Bella didn't bother with formalities or niceties, responding with, "Do I have any messages?"

When the girl--her name was actually Lauren, but Bella could never be bothered to remember--shook her head 'no' and started to speak, Bella cut her off with, "Okay. If my dad calls, tell him I went out."

Lauren opened her mouth to confirm, but Bella had already started walking away by that point, thus negating the need for a reply. She made a face and stuck out her tongue out at Bella's retreating back before realizing that Alice still stood there, and had witnessed the childish act. Mortification transformed her face, but before she could profusely apologize, Alice turned in Bella's direction, sticking her tongue out as well before winking and giggling at Lauren, who'd never been so relieved.

Bella didn't make it very far before the power went out in the lobby, and a loud '_SHIT_' was heard coming from the area of the conference room.

She froze, wondering what in the hell had happened, before she saw a blur of maintenance-worker blue topped with coppery brown rushing by the doorway to the Professional Services wing.

Changing direction, she started to follow the person responsible for killing the power in _her_ hotel, but when she passed through the doorway, she was met with empty space. There was no one in the hallway, and no sounds to indicate which way the person had run. _Curiouser and curiouser_...

With perfect timing, Alice poked her head through the doorway, asking, "Um, everything okay in here? Bella?"

Bella heard her, but it was as if she was enclosed in a bubble, because she sounded so very, very far away. Flashing images of the running person kept popping into her head, and each one got clearer and clearer until the final freeze-frame displayed, in his full glory, Mystery Bar Man.

His green eyes mocked her. His thick, disheveled, not-a-normal-color-in-nature hair taunted her. _There was no flipping way_...

Bella knew she was losing it, because she was projecting this man--_whom she didn't even know, and most certainly didn't like, mind you_--onto perfectly innocent people.

However, the vision did remind her to go back to the desk and find out who he was. She couldn't keep calling him 'Mystery Bar Man' forever.

Not that she would continue to think of him; he was just some guy.

Some guy that would not leave her mind, no matter how hard she tried.

Some guy that was quickly becoming a pain in the ass.

Bella groaned in frustration, scrunching up her face and rubbing her temples, hoping to drive him out of her thoughts.

She shook her head fiercely for a few seconds, sending her long, brown hair flying in all directions, and when she opened her eyes again, she saw Alice staring, mouth agape, looking as if she had just seen the Pope humping a nun.

Bella felt a flush overcome her and groaned, before pivoting on one strappy sandal and heading back to the desk.

Upon arrival, she launched right into her inquiry. "I forgot, I did have a question."

Lauren looked up expectantly, and Bella continued. "The man that made my delivery this morning, what company did he work for?"

Lauren's confusion was evident, and she asked, "I'm sorry? What company?"

Bella let out an exasperated sigh, and repeated her question, slower this time just in case Lauren needed the extra time to process it. "What. Company. Delivered. My. Packages. This. Morning?"

Lauren resisted the urge to narrow her eyes, but shook her head instead before telling Bella that he worked for the hotel, not a delivery company.

"What do you mean, he works for the hotel? I've never seen him around and believe me, I'd remember." Lauren muttered under her breath, _'Of course you would. He has a penis__,_' before she smiled and told Bella that he had just started that week.

Before Bella could question Lauren on his name and the nature of his employment, the power was restored in the lobby again. Everyone looked up, startled at the sudden brightness.

Bella turned back to Lauren, and demanded, "So, what is his name? And why did we hire a delivery man? What's wrong with using one of the bellhops?"

Lauren started to answer, but was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice, albeit, only recently familiar.

"Hey, Lauren, sorry about that...I completely forgot about turning off the power to the conference room when I was changing the thermostat. Everything's fine now, though!"

Bella's eyes widened to dinner plate proportions for the second time that day, as she realized that maybe she hadn't been hallucinating a few minutes prior. _Only one way to find out..._

She turned, ever so slowly, until she was facing the same man who had stood in her doorway hours earlier. While at first she was confused, realization soon dawned on her when she noticed the blue Dickies shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

She couldn't help but notice the way the muscles in his forearm flexed as he squeezed his hand open and shut, open and shut, as if trying to shake off residual shock from his gaffe with the electricity. He was looking at his hand, and therefore did not see her standing there, facing him.

He started chuckling to himself, talking out loud, presumably to Lauren, but perhaps to himself, "Really need to focus on what I'm doing before I end up losing a limb. Not sure where my mind is today."

What came next was definitely only supposed to be for his ears, but he didn't speak quite low enough. "Ha, well, yes I do. She's just so damn distracting..."

He trailed off as his head lifted, and he realized that he wasn't just talking to himself, but had an audience…one that contained the exact person he was referring to.

Bella's glare signaled that he had some explaining to do.

"Oh, shit."

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**Questions? Comments? Let me know. Thanks for reading.  
**

**Recs: **

**Tie Me Here in Time by jadedandboring**--sequel to Kubler Ross Model

**Company Loves Misery by angstgoddess003**

**Expectations and Other Moving Pieces by chrometurtle**--I've been reading this since there were only 7 chapters and way less reviews. Glad to see it is getting recognized.

**Innocence is Dripping Red by EchoesOfTwilight**--she turned her o/s into a full fic. Be warned, it is dark.

**Youth Without Age and Life Without Death by goldenmeadow**--beautifully written, with a backstory like we've never seen

And finally, if you never read any other recs I put out, please make sure to read this. I must admit that it is one of the best fics I've ever read, if not the best, from start to finish. **Full Dark by gina-bean**. It is only on Twilighted(dot)net, though.


	4. Operation: Make Him Beg For It

**A/N Hi. Sorry. Really, really sorry. Lots of stuff going on in RL for me right now. Thank you to buhbeesgirl and venis_envy for pre-reading, and thanks to Tosh for betaing. See you at the bottom!**

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**Chapter 4: Operation: Make Him Beg For It**

Last time on The Heiress…

_What came next was definitely only supposed to be for his ears, but he didn't speak quite low enough. "Ha, well, yes I do. She's just so damn distracting…"_

_He trailed off as his head lifted, and he realized that he wasn't just talking to himself, but had an audience…one that contained the exact person he was referring to._

_Bella's glare signaled that he had some explaining to do._

----

"Oh, shit."

"Excuse me?" Bella's eyebrows flew up as she leveled a pointed stare at none other than Mystery Bar Man.

"Er, I mean…ah, Hell, I'm sorry. I'm all fu—ah, screwed up; I didn't mean to say that." He smiled his famous crooked grin at her, hoping to charm her into forgetting what she had overheard.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Mystery Bar Man with the Crazy Green Eyes, trying to discern if he was being sincere or not. Chewing the inside of her lip, she decided that while he was being truthful with his apology, he seemed to be trying to divert her attention with the buckets of charisma that were oozing from his pores.

It _may_ have been working.

"Who distracts you?"

Edward didn't expect this inquiry, so he was not prepared to answer. The resulting effort had him looking rather comical as his mouth opened and closed several times over.

"Ah…no-one…" _The epitome of verbosity_.

He mentally slapped himself before Bella cut back in, stating, "It doesn't matter. What I want to know is who are you, and what are you doing in my hotel?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing in your hotel? I work here. They didn't tell you?"

Bella crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "No, they don't tell me every little thing that happens here. You still haven't told me your name."

He offered his hand to her and smiled again, "Edward. Edward Masen."

Bella looked at the proffered hand, wrinkling her nose slightly at what she imagined to be a rough, calloused palm. She gingerly reached out to take it. Gripping it lightly, she shook it once before dropping it like she had been burned. She didn't know what to make of the intense sensation that flowed through her while he had encased her hand in his own. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Because of this, she failed to notice that his hands were _not_, in fact, the hands of a worker, but rather had long beautiful fingers, and smooth, cool skin.

Edward's smile faltered momentarily while he recovered from a similar feeling. Shaking his head minutely, he flashed his smile again.

"Well, Edward, I'm not sure I can say it's nice to meet you, considering the way we started the day. That little display upstairs was quite the show."

Edward flushed from embarrassment as his previous attitude again haunted his thoughts. He sheepishly ducked his head and responded, "Yeah, about that…I'm really sorry. I have no idea what came over me, honestly. It's like I couldn't keep my thoughts in my head. When I saw you, I was just put right back into the club last night, and what happened between us, and I had this urge to…well I guess it doesn't matter, really. I shouldn't have done it. I apologize. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Bella heard a snort from behind her, and she swiveled her torso to see Alice once again holding back her laughter.

"I'm sorry, B! He said 'your heart', and I couldn't help myself!" Bella frowned; she wasn't that bad, was she? Did people really think she was heartless?

She began to turn back around to face Edward again, pensively glancing at the ground before lifting her head up. She felt emboldened by Alice's words, and was prompted to do something completely out of character.

"Yes. You are forgiven." Alice's gasp replaced the gales of laughter, resulting in a silence so enveloping that even a pin wouldn't have dared make a noise upon hitting the ground. Once Bella was sure she had the room's attention, she continued, "This time. Don't let it happen again." She raised an eyebrow at Edward, who looked taken aback at first, but recovered well enough to nod quickly several times.

She turned on the ball of her foot gracefully and strode toward the lobby doors, Alice hot on her heels.

"Bella, wait up! What did I just witness back there? Did you actually _let him off the hook_?" Alice's incredulous face stared expectantly at Bella.

She received a side-eye as Bella huffed and responded, "_Yes_. Is it that much of a shock?"

"Well…_yeah_. It is. What's gotten into you? Normally, you would have had him fired on the spot." She cocked her head to the side pensively, like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"I don't know; why does it matter? I do have a heart, you know!" The crease between Bella's eyebrows deepened in distress. Alice relaxed immediately and her expression turned to one of concern after hearing the response.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry! Did you do that because of my comment? I didn't think…I thought you weren't bothered by what people thought of you?" She reached up a hand to gently rub Bella's shoulder.

"I'm not…not really. I don't know…it struck a chord with me, or something. When you laughed because Edward suggested I had a heart, I guess it hurt. I wanted to show that I could do something nice. But don't think I'm turning over a new leaf or something. It just bothered me, that's all."

"Ooooo-kay, then. Don't worry; I won't expect niceties from you any time soon." Bella glanced at Alice in exasperation and noticed her wink. She was taking the piss out of her. Lovely.

Alice nudged Bella with her shoulder and smiled, coaxing a small grin out of her sister.

"C'mon. Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving." Bella nodded and smiled wider, and they set off to meet up with the third member of their trio.

Rosalie Hale sat in a booth in a little café not far from The Royal Swan, checking her reflection in a small compact mirror. Satisfied that her lipstick was perfectly applied, she snapped the compact shut and deposited it back into her purse.

She was oblivious to the surreptitious glances and stares of the men at the surrounding tables and booths. They were of zero interest to her, and an unnecessary distraction. In the event that one of the dreamers attempted to approach her, just one withering glare was enough to broadcast loud and clear the message that she wanted no part of them.

Reaching back into her bag, she withdrew her phone to check on her emails and appointments. Rosalie was the owner of a chain of successful automotive garages that catered exclusively to female clients. She had started it on her own immediately after college, and while she didn't often work directly in any of the shops any longer, she made sure to still be involved in the daily goings-on of the company.

She swept her long, blond hair over one shoulder as she turned her head at the sound of the door opening. Seeing her friends approach, her stunning face broke into a smile. If one listened closely enough, the sound of jaws hitting the floor could be heard.

"Bella! Alice! Over here!" Rosalie waved her hand in their direction to catch their attention, and they both brightened in recognition when their eyes met hers. They hurried over to the booth and slid in, kissing their 'hellos' across the table.

"So how's your head, Captain Swan?" Rosalie smirked at Bella, no doubt remembering how eventful the previous night had been.

"I told you to stop calling me that, Hale." Bella narrowed her eyes at Rosalie as they engaged in their usual banter.

"Well, stop inhaling fifths of Captain Morgan every time we go out, and I might rethink your nickname." She winked at Bella, and took a sip of water out of her straw delicately so as not to exacerbate the fine lines around her mouth.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Bella folded her arms on top of the table, face-planting into them.

"At least the night was made complete when that stud rejected you." Rosalie let out a decidedly un-ladylike snort of laughter as she spoke the last few words, earning a raised middle finger brandished in her direction.

Bella's response was barely discernable beyond her barrier of arms, "Thstwoathotel."

Alice and Rosalie eyed each other, and simultaneously turned to look at Bella and question, "What?"

Bella let out an exasperated sigh, and picked her head up off her arms, repeating herself, "That _stud_ works for the hotel."

Rosalie's eyebrows could not possibly go any higher on her head before they could be considered part of her hairline. "What do you mean, he works for the hotel? How did you not recognize him at the club?"

"Well, because he just started recently, and I'm not exactly up on new hires every day. Sue me." Bella placed her drink order with the waitress that stopped by the table, opting to go with the ever-so-safe iced tea route--minus the Long Island fixings.

She continued, "Yeah, imagine my surprise when he delivered my wardrobe packages this morn—shut up, Alice--fine, _this afternoon_. He was rude and obnoxious and far out of line. Then, when I went to the front desk to check messages, and find out what company he worked for, Lily…no, Lisa…whatever her name is, said that he worked for the Swan. _Ugh_, he ended up insulting me again, and he nearly ran into me before I left. I wanted to slap him." She looked down at her hands resting on the table, and suddenly found the fingers on her right hand extremely interesting.

"You wanted to. That means you _didn't_. Tell me you did not pass up the golden opportunity to fire an employee?" Rosalie leaned forward in earnest, trying to catch every syllable out of Bella's mouth.

Alice jumped in before Bella could answer, "No, she didn't! Rose, I tell you, you would not have recognized her! She _accepted an apology_."

Rosalie blinked at Alice a few times, and then turned back to Bella, cocking her head to the side. Reaching up her hand to touch Bella's forehead, she remarked, "You must be ill. Are you feeling well?"

Bella harrumphed and threw herself back against the booth, crossing her arms indignantly, and making a face, "You guys can both _kiss my ass_. There is nothing wrong with me. Why is that assumed when I do something nice?" She raised an eyebrow at her sister and friend, waiting for a response.

"Because you don't 'do' nice." Rosalie was nothing if not candid.

Alice attempted to smooth over the tension, explaining, "Honey, I think what Rose is trying to say is that we just aren't used to you doing nice things, mainly because it just doesn't happen often…or ever." Her voice was rather small by the end of the sentence, and Bella had to listen hard to hear her.

All the recent comments and reactions from people regarding her 'not nice' nature really set the wheels to turn in Bella's head. She gnawed her lower lip thoughtfully, opting not to respond. She had never realized that she wasn't a nice person; it wasn't something she dwelled upon. She was focused on what she felt to be important in life: keeping yourself happy.

She had always been given whatever was necessary to please her, starting as a young child all the way to adulthood. There had never been a need to make a conscious effort to please others, mainly because people were so busy pleasing her. It never crossed her radar.

She absentmindedly reached for her drink the waitress had placed on the table, and fiddled with the straw before plunking it straight down into the glass. She was vaguely aware of Rosalie and Alice talking, and their conversation obviously didn't require her input since neither one turned to address Bella.

"Ladies. How are we doing this fine afternoon?" The self-assured, smooth voice interjected into their space, and two of the three women looked up smilingly. The third blushed deeply and shyly looked at the unexpected guest from the corner of her eye.

"Jasper Hale, it's always a pleasure to see you and your fine ass." Bella shook off the somber mood she had been in prior to Jasper's arrival, and scooted over to make room for him on the bench seat.

"You know that's not the only thing fine about me." Jasper winked at Bella, and received a slap on the shoulder in return. He laughed, proclaiming his innocence while jokingly rubbing his shoulder.

"Rosalie, sister dear, breaking hearts or noses today?" He grinned charmingly at his twin sister, and she replied, "A little of both, my dear." Jasper laughed again, "Ah, that's the girl I know and love."

Spying Alice across the table, Jasper leaned forward a bit to softly greet her, "Hello, Alice." He always had liked the younger girl, but she was so shy and quiet, it was like pulling teeth to get a conversation out of her.

"Hi, Jasper." She managed to whisper the response, and blushed again before diverting her eyes back to inspect her drink. She never knew what to say to him, and even if she did, she didn't seem to have any luck with actually speaking the words she thought.

Bella and Rosalie exchanged knowing looks, because they were aware of just how deeply Alice felt for Jasper. She had been in love with him for years, a lifetime even, and was convinced that one day he'd stop and notice her.

"So, Jasper, find a new girlfriend yet?" Bella purposely brought up the subject, knowing it would have an effect on Alice. She was right. Alice's eyes flew up to Japser's…chest. She couldn't really look him in the eye without practically having heart palpitations.

Jasper laughed humorlessly and licked his lips before replying, "Ah, no, I've decided to give it a rest in that department for a while. All these ladies have worn me out, and not in the good sense."

Jasper was what you might call a 'serial monogamist'. When he dated, it was serious, and for extended lengths of time.

The most recent couple of ladies had been real doozies. Maria was a Mexican spitfire that he was with for three years. She was really more into herself than Jasper, but the relationship worked on paper. They were the 'see and be seen' couple and Maria made sure that she took full advantage of Jasper's wealth and social stature. Jasper never minded, because he never really felt used. He truly did feel loved for the majority of their relationship, and to some extent, Maria did love Jasper, in her own way.

Charlotte succeeded Maria, and she was as far from Maria as Jasper could get. Long, honey-blonde hair, sweet-as-pie nature, with a carefree, frolic-in-the-tulips attitude. She was content to just stay home most nights, eating homemade meals as opposed to going out to dinner constantly. The two years that Jasper spent with her were very mellowing, but Jasper just wasn't content. They split amicably.

He had been dating for so long that he had no interest in looking for Charlotte's replacement. He was ready to just relax and enjoy the rest of his twenties.

Alice, who had been carefully watching Jasper's silently musing face, had suppressed a smile when she heard that he was not looking for the new 'missus'. Although she didn't think she'd ever be able to make the first move, it certainly helped her case for him to be unattached.

Jasper shook his head, and returned his thoughts to the ladies in his company. "So what is the plan for next weekend? I need to buckle down and be serious this week, so Thursday is the earliest I can party. Maybe Wednesday."

"I think we'll just wing it. There isn't a place that I want to check out, and after this weekend, it's probably a good idea for me to just chill out. That, and I don't feel like listening to Rose give me shit again." Bella looked pointedly at Rosalie, who maturely stuck her tongue out.

"Well okay then, 'winging it' it is. I'll see if I can scrounge up any men for you womenfolk. You all look like you could use a good lay. Except for you, Queen Rose. No man should be laying a finger on you."

Alice looked appropriately mortified, but Rosalie merely smirked and replied, "I don't want just a finger laid on me, dear brother. I want the whole—"

"Okay! That's enough!" Jasper groaned, and threw up his hands, moving to stand up. "My dear beauties, it's been a slice." He reached for Bella and Alice's hands, lightly kissing them each once on the knuckles. Bella swatted at him, and Alice nearly swooned. It was no wonder the girl could barely talk around him.

The girls watched him walk away before Rosalie and Bella honed their sights on Alice.

"Woman, what is wrong with you? Why can't you talk to the boy?" Rosalie minced no words.

"She's right, Ali. I think he kind of likes you. If you would just take the chance and talk to him, who knows where you'd end up? Of course, the ideal location would be in his bed, but I think we'd settle for a couch at this point. Actually, I don't think I'd object to you guys having a full-on make-out session right here on the table."

"Well, Bella, as delicious as that sounds, I'm not holding my breath. My mind goes blank around him. Just…blank. So, conversation is really not even an option. My mouth gets all dry, and I feel like I'm on fire. I'm afraid if I did attempt to speak, I would come out looking like I'm a couple crayons short of a Crayola forty-eight color box. Not attractive, really." Alice pursed her lips in frustration, and stabbed at the ice in her drink with the straw.

While flicking through her phone screen, Rosalie matter-of-factly stated, "Well, I say we just get a lot of alcohol in you, and throw you guys in a locked room together. Something is bound to happen."

"While that is an absolutely fool-proof, well thought-out plan, I again just do not foresee that happening. Jasper just sees me as a little sister, I think. Maybe my visions of the future just aren't on that path any longer." Alice sighed dejectedly, and let her head fall back onto the seat.

"Buck up, buttercup. I think we need to make a plan. Operation: Make Him Beg For It. I will make it my life's mission to get you two together. Starting now. Wait…no. Starting after we go shopping. Sorry, have to concentrate on that first, of course." Bella nodded crisply, as if cementing the decision.

"I'm not sure I can handle this new, benevolent Bella. Matter of fact, I'm starting to get frightened. _Hold me!_" Alice dramatically clung to Rosalie as Bella started throwing napkins and straw wrappers at the pair across from her, scowling all the way.

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**A/N 2.0**

Ok, so, as I said, I have a lot going on in real life at the moment. Will likely be moving within the next couple months, so the house stuff is kinda making me nuts right now. Also, I have started my own website, strictlyrobpattinson(dot)com. So, if you are a Rob fan, come check us out!

I also finally finished my first fic, Seventeen Cakes, so that pushed this chapter back a bit as well. I hope you liked the chapter. Thanks for reading.


	5. Heeeeere's Emmett

**I don't own Twilight. **

**This is a short one, but I did warn you guys about short chapters in this story. I'm slightly stuck on the next part, but I wanted to get this to you.  
**

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Jasper strolled into the gym, glancing around at the different machine stations. Seeing an empty curl machine, he sauntered over and copped a squat on the bench.

As he bent over to adjust the weight settings, a large, dark-haired man walked up to the machine next to him, nodding in greeting when Jasper glanced up.

"How's it goin'?" The man was friendly; most people just stuck to themselves, and paced through their workouts.

Jasper straightened up and responded, "Not bad. Yourself?"

The man grinned and said, "I'd be a hell of a lot better if I didn't have to work so hard to keep my girlish figure." Jasper couldn't help snorting in laughter at the man's words.

Sticking out a beefy hand, a name was offered, "Emmett. Emmett Cullen."

Jasper reached up to accept Emmett's hand, and introduced himself in kind, "Jasper Hale."

_Cullen_. Jasper recognized the name, but wasn't sure why. He was pretty certain Emmett wasn't from the area, so he didn't think he was a local. Only way to find out was to ask.

"Cullen, huh? I recognize your name, but I can't say that I know you from here. Where you from?"

"Chicago, actually. I just moved out here a couple weeks back." As soon as Emmett said 'Chicago', Jasper knew exactly where he had heard the name Cullen. The girls were always leaving their gossip magazines laying about, and occasionally he'd flip through one. It was in one of those that he remembered seeing Emmett's name. Apparently Emmett was quite the ladies' man back in Chicago, and he wasn't exactly discreet about it.

"Chicago, huh? You wouldn't happen to be _the_ Emmett Cullen that I've read about, would you?"

"The one and only, my friend. The world couldn't handle the awesomeness of two Emmett Cullens." Emmett punctuated his statement with a wink.

"Obviously, I'm rather new around Seattle, Jasper. Anything you can share with me about this place that will expand my horizons?" He spread his arms out wide, as if to encompass all of Seattle in his wingspan. Which he probably could do.

Jasper thought for a second, and then carefully answered, "Depends on what you're looking for. I've lived here my whole life, so I can pretty much tell you anything you want to know."

Emmett raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? Well, my man, I think the first order of business is--_where can I find the ladies_?"

Jasper looked Emmett up and down (in a strictly hetero way, naturally) and mulled over his words for a moment. He reminded Jasper of someone...

Reaching up to grasp the pulley bars on his machine, Emmett began to smoothly pull the long bar behind his head, working his shoulders. Between downward pulls, he glanced over at Jasper. "Cat got your tongue?"

Jasper startled a bit, not realizing he hadn't answered Emmett yet. "Shit, sorry, was just thinkin' for a minute. Um, yeah, I know places to go. Matter of fact, I'm going out this weekend. You can come, if you want."

Emmett paused in his repetitions, smirking. "Will there be ladies of your acquaintance there? I haven't met anyone here yet, and I'm about due."

If this were a cartoon, you would have seen a giant light bulb go off over Jasper's head.

He knew exactly who Emmett reminded him of.

Only, it wasn't another _man_.

The swagger, the brashness, the vanity—Emmett was just like Jasper's sister, Rosalie.

"You could say that, yeah." Jasper failed to mention just how he was acquainted with the girls that would be accompanying him.

Emmett's small smile blossomed into a grin. "Then I am there. You better save the best ones for me." Emmett winked at him again, and Jasper had to stifle a snicker.

"You got something in your eye, man?" Jasper suppressed his smile when Emmett looked momentarily confused.

His expression cleared quickly though, and he smirked. "Don't knock the wink, bro. the ladies _love_ the wink."

"Ha! Well, if you hadn't noticed, _I'm not a lady_."

"That you are not, my friend, but, I need to make sure you have plenty of info to take back to your lady friends. They should be prepared." Jasper raised an eyebrow in Emmett's direction, and Emmett kept a serious face for a few moments before breaking down into giggles. Yes, _giggles._

"You should have seen your face, dude! I'm just fuckin' with ya." His smile faded briefly as he leaned over conspiratorially. "But really, I can't wait to meet your girls."

"Emmett Cullen, I think you'll fit right in around here. Welcome to Seattle." They did the manly fist-bump, and continued with their respective workouts in silence.

For some unknown reason, Jasper had the feeling that getting Emmett and Rosalie together could be quite the natural disaster in the making. All he could picture in his mind was Rosalie kicking Emmett in the balls, and Emmett kicking right back. _Oh, the entertainment possibilities!_

Emmett handed Jasper his phone so he could enter his number and send himself a text in order to get Emmett's number, then Emmett took off, wiggling his eyebrows and fingers in tandem.

Jasper abandoned his station, the exercise forgotten, and headed back to the locker-room. He pulled his cell phone out of his locker, quickly pulling up Rosalie's number, and sending a text.

_**Bringing a friend out this weekend. Set plans yet?**_

Quickly throwing on his street clothes, Jasper stuck his arms into his jacket sleeves and left the locker-room to find his car. The phone in his pocket buzzed, signalling an incoming message.

Sliding it open, he scanned the screen, reading Rosalie's reply.

_**Nope.**_

Rolling his eyes exasperatedly, he answered.

_**Well aren't you helpful. **_

He didn't really expect a response.

It didn't matter what the plans were, Emmett would come out with him--that, he was sure of. Now he just had to make sure Rosalie didn't bring someone of her own.

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**So real life has been kicking my butt a wee bit lately...we are supposed to close on the house next week and then move in, and we aren't even *close* to being packed. **

**I hope to have more to you soon. Remember, this fic is still in its infancy (ok fine, maybe toddler stages), and I have a lot to set up.  
**

**Thanks for reading.  
**


	6. Follow the Yellow Brick Road

**Hi...to the few readers I probably have left. Sorry. I really didn't mean to go 7 weeks between updates. I had the worst block, and just finally got past it, actually going in an entirely different direction than I had planned. Enjoy.**

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"Amaretto Sour, and don't make it the shit house amaretto, or I'll send it back. Just _sour_, no orange juice, or I'll send it back again. Got it?" Bella finished giving her order to the poor waitress at SEE, and the girl scurried out of the VIP lounge.

Alice stared at Bella with an eyebrow raised. "What? I'd rather she gets it right the first time, instead of screwing it up and wasting my time."

"You know, there are times I think you are on a new path, and then you do something like that. Back to square one." Alice just shook her head dramatically, returning her attentions to her own drink.

"Whatever, Alice. Spare me your bleeding-heart diatribe." Bella flicked her hair over her shoulder and glared at Alice, who was surprised at the vitriolic words coming from her sister's mouth. Her brow furrowed and she started to open her mouth, fully intending to give Bella a piece of her mind, but Rosalie's low whistle cut her off at the first syllable.

"Well, it looks as if my brother came through after all." Three sets of mascaraed eyes turned to locate Jasper, and found a solid wall strutting behind him.

Alice made a face, "Meh, too big for me."

Bella and Rosalie jinxed with their responses. "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Both girls erupted in laughter while Alice could only blush and cover her eyes in embarrassment.

Bella looked Mister World Gym up and down briefly, raised an eyebrow, and turned to Rosalie. "Rock, paper, scissors you for him?"

Rosalie still had not turned her head from the initial sighting, and kept staring while answering Bella, "Hm. You can have him." Still. Staring.

"Ooooo-kay." By the time their exchange was over, Jasper and his friend had arrived at the lounge, grinning at the ladies.

"Bella, mon amie, how are you tonight? You look ravishing, my beauty." Jasper took Bella's hand and twirled her around once, not losing the chance to check out her ass. Hey, he was still a guy, even if she was one of his best friends.

"Jasper, all that sweet-talk will get you nowhere. Quit sucking up to me, you ass." Bella laughed at Jasper's formal greeting, slapping his hands away after her little spin pose. She looked past him and eyed the large man standing behind him. "You going to introduce us to your friend?"

Jasper's face lit up and he turned to Emmett, smiling and gesturing between the girls and his new friend. "Ladies, this is Emmett Cullen. Emmett, this is Bella, Alice, and my sister Rosalie." Each smiled in turn...except Rosalie. She maintained her cool, calm expression, opting for a short nod by way of greeting. Emmett smiled at Alice, grinned at Bella, and after seeing Rosalie's stoneface, raised an eyebrow and smirked.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

The door slammed against the wall as Rosalie, Bella, and Alice stepped out the back entrance of the club for a breather.

"That ogre needs to keep his hands to himself!" Rosalie viciously yanked her fingers through her hair, wincing when strands got caught.

Bella eyed her suspiciously, "Why do you dislike him so much? You just met him."

"He thinks he's God's gift to women. Well I've got news for him...not this woman! Rosalie Hale doesn't _fawn_ over a man!"

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much." Alice smiled wryly after her pronouncement, and Rosalie turned her narrowed eyes on her miniature friend.

"Oh? And what do you know about it, Ms. I'm-too-damn-scared-to-do-anything-about-the-man-I-claim-to-love? I don't think you are in _any_ state to be judging others' sex lives." She paused a moment before realizing what she said. "Not that my sex life has anything to do with this. I don't want to have sex with him."

"Freudian slip, eh, Rosie-posie?" Bella laughed as she used Rosalie's old nickname, and received a punch to the shoulder in return.

"Don't call me that. You know I hate that name." Bella nudged Rosalie with her sore shoulder, and they exchanged a look. Turning in unison, they set their sights on Alice.

Alice recognized the movement as a 'Red Alert' warning, and her eyes started to increase in size, her hands waving in the space before her, "Oh no, no you two don't. Stop whatever you are thinking!"

"Alice, my dear, I think it is high time that you stopped pussy-footing around, and made a move on my brother. He's so oblivious, you could stand in front of him naked, and he'd think you just forgot to get dressed. We need to break out the heavy artillery." Rosalie raised that darned, perfect eyebrow, crossed her arms, and slowly tapped her blood-red fingernail against her bicep.

"Cuervo. Lots. Now." Bella moved so fast, Alice scarcely had time to squeak out a '_No!_' before they were back in front of the bar, salt, lemons, and full shot glasses laying in wait in front of them.

Rosalie grabbed Alice's arm, flipped it over, licked her wrist (yes, it was noticed by the surrounding male company) and poured a generous helping of salt on the delicate skin. "Lick." Alice followed the line of Rosalie's finger pointing at her own arm, and hesitated, "Guys, I don't think this is-"

"You aren't supposed to think. You are supposed to drink. Now, _lick_." Rosalie pushed Alice's arm up to her mouth, and Alice grimaced before complying.

As soon as she brought her arm down, the shot glass waiting for her in Bella's outstretched hand was placed to her lips, and she dutifully tipped her head back, swallowing it in as few gulps as she could manage. The lemon wedge shoved in between her teeth did little to ease the burn down her throat, nor to quiet the butterflies in her stomach.

The ladies performed this routine one more time (sans Rosalie licking Alice, to the dismay of the crowd around them) before making their way back to the table, where they found the two boys talking animatedly. They abruptly ceased their chatter when the girls came in view, however, leaving little to the imagination of what their topic had been.

"You ladies feel better now?" Emmett spoke the question to all of them, but looked pointedly at Rosalie while doing so.

"Loads. I was able to cool off after having been breathed on by people who just don't recognize personal space." She glared back at him, not backing down.

"Well maybe _people_ find that personal space is over-rated. It's much more fun to cuddle." He raised both eyebrows at her and grinned before taking a swig of Stella.

Rosalie felt the flare of indignation, retorting, "The only cuddling going on will be my foot and your ass, you big baboon!" Emmett nearly choked on his mouthful of brew, but managed to swallow it down before flat-out guffawing at her.

Jasper, meanwhile, had to hide his face behind his bottle-carrying hand, because it was all playing out perfectly. He finally met his sister's match, and was looking forward to the endless entertainment it would provide. He was concentrating so hard on hiding his laughter that he nearly missed Alice practically falling down into the seat next to him. But he didn't miss it. No, he most certainly noticed her.

"Hey, easy there, little Ali." Reaching out to steady her, his arm slipped easily over her diminutive shoulders. Her head tipped forward into his chest, briefly, as if she were smelling him..._nah._ He shrugged and reached back out for the beer he had sat down on the table, letting his arm fall lax against the back of the booth, his hand hanging over her shoulder still.

"Aw, look, aren't they cute?" Bella had been surreptitiously watching Alice ever since they returned to the table, awaiting the moment where help may be needed. She was nothing if not determined.

Jasper gave her a side-eye, "Cute? Who?" Bella rolled her eyes and motioned toward them with her free hand while sipping daintily on the straw of her drink.

"Erm...okaaaaay..." Jasper had never really thought too much about Alice in the 'attractive, single female' manner, mainly because she was nearly like a little sister to him. But little sisters never looked that good in a skirt...and the blush on her face told him that she most certainly didn't view him as an older brother.

But it was Alice. He couldn't take that chance. She'd never shown any indication of anything like that, so until she did, he'd just stick to the same routine. He shrugged it off. "It's just Alice. Why are you guys acting all weird?"

Alice's smile started to fade, and she realized that although she had taken a pretty big step forward, he had stayed right on the same footpath. She plastered a fake smile on her face, turned to Jasper and said, "Um, I'll be right back." Smiling assuredly at him, she slipped out from under his arm and quickly made her way to the ladies' room.

Bella glared at Jasper for a moment, and he clearly did not understand the reasoning behind it. Throwing his hands up, he questioned, "What? What did I do?" Huffing exasperatedly, Bella took off to follow Alice. _Men are so blind._

She caught up to her sister just as the door swung shut, therefore making it in before Alice locked the bathroom, ignoring the annoyed cries of girls wanting to get in.

"What is wrong with me, Bella? Why doesn't he want me?" Alice wailed as soon as she turned away from the door. Bella quickly grabbed a handful of toilet paper and handed it to Alice to catch the tears falling from her eyes.

"Because he's retarded, hon. All boys are. They are missing a gene, thus making it impossible for them to see things staring them in the face." She wrapped her arms around her little sister's body and squeezed, rocking her side to side for a moment.

"I wish you wouldn't get so upset over it, though. I'd be angry, if it were me. There you are, putting yourself out there, approaching him first, and what does he do? He treats you like his little sister. What a douche." Bella peeked down a bit to see if the words were sinking into Alice's brain, because they were certainly an intentional choice of phrases.

Alice sniffed for a moment before sitting up straight and wiping her tears away. "You're right. I am mad. Who does he think he is? Going around and flirting with anything that has tits and a nice smile, while here I am, _waiting around_ for his ass! No more! I'm done!" She stood up quickly and swayed briefly (those shots worked fast) before declaring she needed another drink.

After finally leaving the restroom-to a round of boos-the girls made their way to the bar. Downing two more shots each, they sauntered back to the table to try to enjoy the rest of the night.

_The best laid plans..._

Emmett and Rosalie were sitting at opposite sides of the table, both purposely looking in different directions (though Bella saw each sneaking peeks out the corner of their eyes). Jasper was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Jasper?" Bella asked Rosalie, who had just noticed the return of her best friends.

"Um, don't know for sure, but he headed toward the back door. Maybe for a smoke? I saw him talking to some girl on the way out." Upon hearing this, Alice's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. She whirled on her toes and set off in the direction of the door.

"Ruh roh, Shaggy, this won't be good." Bella did her best Scooby Doo impression, failing miserably. However, that didn't stop all three of them from being hot on Alice's heels. There was a raw intensity in the air that they'd never felt before-Alice was about to go off.

Alice didn't know what exactly she was going to do once she reached Jasper, but she didn't really care. Bella was right; this pining had gone on long enough, and if would never have the chance to be with Jasper, she needed to move on.

She shoved open the door with all her strength, and a surprised Jasper (who had been leaning against the wall, smoking) whipped his head around to see Alice barreling at him. He flicked his cigarette to the ground, and held out his hands, "Ali, what's-"

"Don't you '_what's up_' me, Jasper Whitlock Hale! I can't _do_ this anymore! I can't pretend to not have feelings for you, and pretend to be okay with you seeing me as 'just Alice' forever! It's been so long..._so long._ For so many years, I have held onto feelings that I thought would eventually lead to something, but now I'm starting to see they won't. I'm realizing that I am apparently delusional, because you are never going to see me as more than 'just Alice'." She could no longer hold on to her anger, and her voice cracked on the last two words. Tears formed and threatened to fall. They made good on their threats not too long after.

Not wanting to allow Jasper see her so upset over him, she angrily wiped her face and turned to leave. After coming out of their shocked, stationary silence, Rosalie and Bella quickly followed her.

"Alice, wait!" Jasper called after her, hoping to have a chance to respond.

He was denied that chance, however. Alice continued walking (rather, storming) and merely extended her arm behind her in the 'talk to the hand' fashion. The girls turned the corner of the building, disappearing out of sight.

Jasper turned to Emmett and begged, "What the hell did I _do_, man?"

Emmett held up his hands and let out a nervous laugh, "Dude, don't look at me. I've got no more of a clue than you do in this one. All I know is that she came back from the bathroom, Rosalie said you went outside with some girl, and her eyes lit up like the damn Fourth of July fireworks."

Kicking the wall in frustration, Jasper muttered curse words under his breath and tugged on his hair a few times.

His world had just been turned on its head, and he was starting to feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North just left with the Cowardly Lion (who apparently was a rather fierce lioness), and all he had left was his sidekick.

"Fuck. Let's go, Toto. I gotta figure out how to get to Oz."

Emmett's face had a moment of confusion that evolved into indignation before he responded, "Toto? Oz? Why the fuck are you referring to me as a tiny dog?" He waved his hand across Jasper's face, checking for signs of lucidity, and Jasper shook his head.

"Forget it. Let's move."

The boys headed off in the direction the girls had gone and reached Jasper's car. He leaned against the frame, arms spread wide, and banged his head on the roof a couple times. He obviously had a lot to think about.

While the head-banging was commencing, Emmett's phone rang. He glanced at the display, wondering who would be calling him so late. _Edward_. He answered, expecting there to be an emergency, as his brother rarely called him so late at night. "Edward, what's up, bro?"

Edward's voice seemed a bit 'off' when he responded, "Em, you wanna meet me? I know it's late, so if you don't, it's cool, but..."

Emmett glanced at Jasper, who was still banging his head on the car, "Hey Jas, you feel like going to another place? My brother wants some company."

Jasper stopped inflicting damage on his skull long enough to answer, "Sure, why the fuck not. I need another drink or five."

"All right, man, I'll come, but I'm bringing a friend." Emmett got the name of the bar Edward was currently occupying a stool at, and the two men finally entered the car and headed off to join Edward in misery.

* * *

**Next chapter, I promise Edward. And it will be far sooner than 7 weeks. Probably next week, actually. That's how bad I feel. Thank you for reading.**

**Recs:**

_And With Thee Fade Away _by Derdriu oFaolain (the smartest AU fic I've ever read). Also read her new one, _Clockwork_. Don't know where people get these ideas, but damn. I love them.

_For the Summer_ by camoozle (I've been reading this awhile and realized that I haven't recced it before. I don't think. Kind of like a _Rhapsody in B_, but instead of only seeing each other every year at New Year's, it is during the summer when Edward vacations at Bella's family's river docks.

_Pressed for Time_ by twanza (this started as a o/s, and we begged and pleaded for more. They now deliver. Bella is mute, and they meet in a...um...peep show? Yep. Just read it.)

_The Confidence Man_ by OhMyWord (Edward is a con man. Bella is his mark. Uh oh.)

I will have more next week, as I've had a few stories recced to me recently but haven't had a chance to start them.


	7. Watch Out for Those Ladders

**I don't own Twilight.**

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Three weeks had gone by since Edward's near-meltdown at the bar when Emmett and Jasper had swooped in and saved the day. He made them promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone, ever. It wasn't his proudest moment, partially because of his actions, but mainly because of the cause of his binge.

She wouldn't get out of his head.

Since that night, he attempted to (and succeeded in) avoid Bella Swan. If he saw her in the hotel lobby, he slipped into a side room or headed for another floor until she vacated the area. If he had to deliver anything to her room, he asked one of the bellboys to do it, feigning busyness.

He had done rather well at impersonating a specter, and was prepared to continue doing so forever. And ever.

It was the only way he could keep her at arm's length, and avoid fighting with her, which was inevitable.

What he didn't know was that Bella had been performing the same avoidance dance, enabling them both to succeed in their endeavors.

She checked the maintenance schedule each week to see when he was working, and rearranged her activities accordingly. She was determined to not let him affect her (even though the simple act of rearranging her schedule was definitely allowing him to 'affect her').

This particular Friday afternoon, however, Lady Luck had abandoned both Edward _and_ Bella in favor of other poor souls in need.

Edward slipped his arm under the rung of the folded-up ladder, picking it up to return it to the utility room. He looked up one last time to check the halogen bulb he just replaced in the elevator bay ceiling, and then turned to start toward his destination.

The elevator closest to him dinged, and the double doors slid open smoothly. Because Bella was rooting around in her purse for her lost lip gloss, she didn't notice Edward walking directly past the open doorway until she had already stepped out and run into him, smacking her forehead on the side of the metal ladder and sending her to the floor.

Edward did not see Bella exiting the elevator because his vision was blocked by the offending ladder, so he was unable to move out of the way.

"Oof!" Edward heard a thud next to him, and turned in alarm to see if he had maimed a guest (which would be just his luck).

Seeing it was Bella, he felt a tinge of guilt, but arranged his face into a mask of neutrality. He leaned the ladder against the wall, squatting down next to her and stating, "Oh, it's you."

Bella shot him the dirtiest look she could manage, and ignored the proffered hand he held in front of her face. She stood up on her own, grumbling all the way, before finally addressing him, "You could watch where you're going, you know."

"Well, considering that there was no one here a split-second before you showed up, I'd say it was _you_ that should watch where they are going." Edward regretted the words the instant they left his mouth. He had to keep reminding himself that technically, Bella was his boss. He needed to let go of this absurd tension with her.

He gathered himself again, and backtracked, "Shi—shoot, I'm sorry. I really don't know why I feel the need to insult you every time I see you. I _should _be more careful, you're right." Intent on leaving the scene of the crime with some dignity intact, and before she set off on one of her famous tirades, he collected his ladder.

Having difficulty letting loose on him, a confused frown appeared on Bella's face, and she felt a tug in her stomach to not allow him to leave, just yet.

"Edward, wait…wait." She scrambled to think of something to say, "How's my face?" She wished she had taken an extra few seconds to think.

Edward paused, steeling himself against the prospect of actual interaction with her, and leaned the ladder back against the wall before facing her. He walked back the few feet he had come, and leaned to the side a bit to get a better angle.

Bella was still looking at him expectantly, but was not prepared when he gave a short, frustrated shake of his head, then reached up and touched her chin, forcing her head to turn a little to the side. Once again, a thrumming current of energy passed between them where they touched. While foreign and strange, it was oddly comforting as well. Recognition flashed in both their eyes before Edward blinked and shook his head, as if trying to shake away the feeling. He dropped his hand from her face and stepped back before answering.

"There's a slightly red mark on your forehead, but I'm sure it will go away soon." _At least, he hoped it would._ "Look, again, I'm sorry, but I need to go clock out. I'm sure I'll see you around." With his statement, Edward picked up his ladder-again-and left.

Bella frantically looked in the reflection of the elevator doors before realizing she had a mirror in her purse. After inspection, she decided it wasn't that bad, and continued on to the lobby where Alice was waiting. They were meeting Jas and Rosalie at a new club opening.

"Fashionably late, as usual." Alice flipped the magazine she had been reading back onto the glass table situated between the seating areas and stood up.

"Shut it, I was run into by a ladder." Alice looked at her skeptically.

"Ok, fine, _I_ ran into the ladder…that happened to be on the shoulder of a certain maintenance man." Alice's expression changed to one of interest.

"Nothing. Happened." Now Alice's face was knowing and smug.

All Bella could do was groan, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips in frustration, but that just reminded her of the tender spot on her forehead, which in turn summoned the look on Edward's face when their skin connected. She squeezed her eyes shut and lightly pounded the sides of her head with her palms.

Upon opening her eyes, she found Alice staring at her strangely. Realizing she probably looked like she belonged in the loony bin, Bella made a concerted effort to act normal.

The normalcy didn't last long, however.

Edward decided to leave through the lobby instead of out the rear employee entrance after clocking out. He had already changed clothes in the locker-room, and felt more comfortable in his button-down and jeans than he did in his coveralls. He had no plans that evening, but did want to stop by the bakery down the street to get bagels for the morning.

As he walked by the front desk, waving briefly to Lauren, he caught movement in his peripheral vision. He kept walking, but turned to sweep eyes across the lobby.

Though Bella's back was turned to him, he recognized the long sweep of shiny, brown hair. Her sister was standing with her, facing him, and this was who caught his eye. Alice smiled and waved, calling out in a sing-song voice, "Hi, Edward!" He smiled in return, hesitating briefly before obligatorily heading in their direction.

"Hey, Alice, how's it going?" He was hoping to get away with the small talk for a minute before moving on, but Alice had other plans, apparently.

"Well, we were just getting ready to leave for a club opening that we were booked to appear at. They book us to get interest."

"An appearance?" Edward raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. Of course he knew what she was talking about; clubs were always trying to get him and Emmett to show up back in Chicago.

"Yeah, like they either pay us a fee, or comp our drinks all night, or something similar. We show up for a while, make sure we are seen, and if it sucks, we can leave early. People hear about us going there, so they go to check it out. Drums up business." Alice summed up her explanation with a crack of her gum.

Bella still hadn't acknowledged Edward's presence, nor he hers. As Edward was nodding, feigning understanding needlessly, Alice noticed that they were studiously ignoring each other. _Perfect opportunity to make something happen._

She invited Edward out with them. "You…wouldn't want to come would you? Or do you have plans already?"

Bella turned her glare on her sister, and if looks could kill, Alice would have been occupying a coffin at that moment.

Edward grimaced for a second, but when he saw Bella's reaction, he narrowed his eyes a bit. Suddenly overcome with an extreme urge to get under her skin, he figured this would be the perfect manner of doing so. Besides, he didn't really have plans. Bagels could wait until morning.

"I'd love to, Alice. Am I presentable?" He winked at her, and the incredulous stare Bella directed at him wasn't frozen enough to prevent her eyes from dropping down to his shoes and traveling upward in appreciation.

From the tips of his polished toes, up those long, lean, and likely very strong legs and thighs that were encased in extremely soft-looking blue jeans (that she severely wanted to touch), continuing on to his tight, taut torso that couldn't quite be hidden by his robin's egg blue button-down. She definitely didn't miss the way his broad shoulders pulled the fabric tight across his chest, or where he had left a couple buttons undone at the top. By the time she made it back to his face, he had an amused expression, and his mouth was moving. It took her a second to snap out of her trance and register what he was saying.

"Bella? Bel-laaaa." Edward couldn't possibly have missed Bella's blatant once-over of him, and he tried to hide a smug grin. She shook her head briefly, then rearranged her face into one of annoyance before spitting out, "You look fine. Ugh, not like, _fine_ fine, just…it works. Shut up." Edward and Alice shared a glance before he suppressed a laughing snort. Alice didn't bother. She giggled uncontrollably while Bella rolled her eyes and stalked toward the exit.

Edward held out his elbow to Alice, and she took it, placing her hand in the crook. "Shall we, m'lady?" He swept his hand forward in a mock bow, and she giggled again before nodding, and then they strutted off together to join Bella in the awaiting limousine.

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**Yo. Next chapter is nearly written. I was on vacation last week, and did have a goal to pre-write at least 5 chapters...that so didn't happen. But I will be better about updating quicker. Thanks to Tosh, because I really made her work this chapter, hahahaha. **

Fic recs:

**Born to be Mine by hidingfromsomeone** (greeneyedgrly recced this to me, and I enjoy it) Jake dies, leaving Bella alone with their 2yo adopted son. Edward is a pediatrician that moves cross-country to CA to be near his sister. Twists that I didn't see coming.

**The Diva Diaries by KiyaRaven** This just got started, but Bella as a theater diva, and Edward as an old gut-wrenching flame are in the same play. Gee, how will that go?


	8. Bruises Do Not Become Him

I don't own Twilight.

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Edward, Bella, and Alice arrived at the new club nearly an hour later. Traffic was horrid that time of day, but they weren't complaining. The limo was stocked with champagne and beer, so the time wasn't wasted. Well, at least not by Alice and Edward.

Bella, however, sat staring out the window, legs crossed and arms folded across her chest. She twice accepted a glass of champagne, but purposefully did not participate in the conversations.

Edward made sure to keep things vague and impersonal—only skimming the surface-when talking to Alice, as he just wasn't ready for people to know who he really was yet.

Despite this, Alice still noticed that something was…off about him. He certainly knew his way around a limo, and he seemed to have more awareness for their lifestyle than a working man should. She didn't press him, though, just filed it away in the back of her mind for later. She didn't care who he was—he could have his secrets-she enjoyed his company regardless.

As the trio walked straight up to the door of the club, barely pausing before gliding through the entrance, Edward tried to keep his head down to avoid being recognized or being photographed.

They were led to a roped-off area with a few booths and tables, and saw Jasper and Rosalie already occupying one. Everyone slid into the booth with them, and their arrival was met with silence.

Jasper was silent because he didn't know what to say to Edward, mainly because he didn't realize that he knew Bella and Alice. He was a bit suspicious that just a few weeks ago, Edward was having a meltdown over a woman, and then here he was, hanging out with his two best girls. How coincidental. Alice and he looked a bit too chummy for Jasper's liking, but how could he voice any opinion on that after the fiasco with Alice at SEE?

Rosalie's silence was due to recognition of Edward. First she recognized him as Mystery Bar Man, then the dots connected and she remembered that he worked at The Royal Swan. It perplexed her that he was now sitting with them, when she knew that Bella couldn't stand him. At least, Bella _insisted_ she couldn't stand him.

She raised her eyebrows at Bella, who rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time and forced out a blasé introduction.

"Rosalie and Jasper Hale, this is Edward Masen. Don't ask why he's here, I didn't invite him." She looked pointedly at Alice, who grinned and shrugged. Rosalie nodded in acknowledgment, and Jasper reached across the table to shake Edward's hand, shooting him a questioning glance at the same time. Edward nearly imperceptibly shook his head, indicating that Jasper just play along.

The quintet started ordering drinks, and kept a steady stream going throughout the night; when the drinks are free, they flow easily. Random gaggles of girls approached the booth side at intervals, talking and flirting with Jasper and Edward. Edward seemed to garner the most attention, much to Bella's dismay.

She pretended she didn't notice when he got up several times to accept invitations to dance, and she casually watched, with forced detachment, as he spun girls around on the floor, then held them close sensually dipping and clinging to their bodies. To his credit, Edward acted as if his attentions were completely centered upon each of the young ladies he danced with, rather than on Bella, sneaking looks and gauging her reactions to his antics.

At one point, when the boys were back at the table and the girls were doing the group bathroom thing, Jasper took the opportunity to lightly question Edward.

"So, Masen, huh?" He quirked an eyebrow while taking a swig of amber.

"Um, yeah, it's what I use in company that I don't particularly want to know who I really am. Can we…can you just play along a bit? I prefer the anonymity still." Edward looked pleadingly at Jasper, who pursed his lips and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'll keep your secret, but don't string her along for too long. I don't want to see her get hurt."

Edward was confused. "String who along?"

Jasper stared at Edward a minute before putting his beer down on the table. "Alice. She…she means a lot to me, and I'd hate to have to kick your ass later."

Edward nearly choked on his swallow of Stella, trying not to laugh. "Alice? What in the world would make you think I was interested in _Alice_?"

Jasper's eyebrows furrowed as he replayed the interactions of the night thus far; Edward and Alice definitely seemed to hit it off well. "So you mean that you and Alice…"

Edward laughed again, "No, dude, not interested in Alice. I mean, she's hot, but just not my type. I like her, she's fun, and she's a good partner in crime in annoying Bella."

Jasper let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure he would have been able to sit by and watch if Edward and Alice had become a couple. Even though she had made it clear during their blow-out that she was done with him, he couldn't help but think about her.

"Ah, so you want Bella."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. No one besides Alice, Rose, and I really hangs out with Bella on purpose. So if you don't want Alice, then that indicates to me that you want Bella."

"I wouldn't say that. It's fun pissing her off. And I don't want her to know who I am, because if she did, she would just turn into one of those simpering princesses who acts differently toward me because of my name. That's just not what I want." Edward drank down a double swallow of his beer before tapping it slowly on the table. Jasper shifted uncomfortably, thinking that Edward was going to get all introspective again. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well, if pissing off Bella is your goal, I can't possibly stand in the way of that. I'll play along. Oh, shit, here come the girls."

Rosalie and Alice climbed into the booth, leaving the only space open for Bella to sit right next to Edward. She huffed and puffed before finally sitting down.

"Watch the three-foot bubble, there, Casanova. You're invading my space."

Instead of moving out of her 'bubble', Edward deliberately moved closer to her. "Ugh, you are such a Neanderthal! Are you _trying_ to annoy me? Jesus!"

"Yes?" Edward grinned, answering all of her statements at once.

"Don't touch me. I don't want to catch anything that jumped on you when you were with the skanks." Bella shuddered visibly as she pretended to flick invisible bugs at Edward.

"Skanks? You mean my lovely dancing partners? Oh come on, what was I supposed to do, blow them off? They were nice! I mean we can't all be _you,_ and look down our noses at everyone that makes less than six figures a year." Edward smiled condescendingly before downing the rest of his beer.

Bella turned to look at him, astonished at what he said. Her mouth opened, one, two, three times before she was able to form a sentence.

"Oh come on, you know you enjoy the attention. You strut around, looking all sexy and macho, with your stupid, perfect hair and brooding eyes, and you practically _will_ them to come running. I bet you wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you weren't hit on by every pair of tits with a pretty smile." Bella smugly crossed her arms and leaned back against the booth.

Edward focused on the one part that interested him. "You think I'm sexy?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, pretending to leer. Kind of pretending.

Bella let out a near growl, eyes blazing. "_Of course_ you would only hear _that_ part. You are _such _a dick!" Making the most disgusted look she could muster, she promptly forced Alice to switch seats with her.

Alice snorted under her breath, "Yeah, because that is going to stop him."

Bella pretended not to notice her remark, instead busying herself with avoiding Edward, once again. This entailed blatantly keeping her vision away from his vicinity, and deliberately talking to only the other three occupants of the table.

Let it never be said that Edward was mature.

Instead of allowing her to run the game, he reacted the first way of which he thought.

"Bella."

She ignored him, of course.

"Bella."

Pretended as if he were not there, and was not calling her name.

"Isabella."

With this, Jasper and Alice side-eyed him, but didn't take the bait. They wanted to see what she would do.

"Heiress."

That got her attention.

"What do you _want_?" she all but hissed. Scratch that, there was a definite hissing involved.

Edward merely smiled and tipped his bottle back for another drink.

The only discernible reaction from Bella was a flaring of nostrils. The rest of her face did not move, and neither did her hands and arms. That was probably why Edward was caught off-guard when a sharp kick to his shin made him nearly choke on his beer. With eyes watering, he wiped his face with the back of his hand, and glared at her.

"What the hell was that for?" Edward rubbed his shin while participating in a stare-down with Bella.

"Children! I'd say 'get a room', but I'm not sure you're old enough!" Rosalie's voice was sharp enough to snap both of their attentions away from each other. Bella blushed, Edward rolled his eyes.

"Jesus Christ, I've never felt such sexual tension before, and that's a lot, coming from me. I don't know what the hell is going on with you two, but I have zero interest in being a participant." Just as quickly as her interruption had begun, she was back to picking her nails with complete indifference.

"Whatever." Bella's attempt at nonchalance fell flat. If one watched closely, her eyes could be seen darting to Edward at short intervals.

"Shit, it's late. Bella, seeing as you're my ride home, do you think we could get over our bullshit for an hour so we can ride in peace?" Edward held out his hand toward Bella in a peace offering. She stared at it briefly, then quickly grasped it and let go, for fear of touching him too long. That never ended well.

That is, if you define 'well' as creating a feeling of home and longing and desire and comfort all wrapped up in a single package. Of course, Bella didn't feel that. That would be crazy.

They gathered their belongings and left the club, saying their goodbyes to Jasper and Rosalie.

Alice, Bella, and Edward climbed back into the limo, and Alice promptly took up one entire section of seating, stretching out and curling in a rather cat-like fashion.

Bella chose to sit in the furthest seat from where Edward sat, fully intending not to speak with him again the rest of the ride.

"Bella, come on, don't be mad." Edward's plea was met with silence.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Her eyes flickered.

"Fine, if you won't talk, then I'll just have to start singing." Nothing.

"I suck at singing, Bella. This is not a good idea." He didn't miss the way her mouth fought to stay downturned.

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall—" She cut him off.

"Okay, you made your point. If I accept your apology, will you leave me alone?"

"Yes." Edward grinned triumphantly. "For now."

Bella rolled her eyes and sighed, but still let him off the hook. She also muttered, "Sorry about your shin. Reflex."

He grimaced, remembering the pain that size eight heel had caused, and absently rubbed at his slighted shin. "S'okay. I probably deserved it. But you didn't hear that from me."

Bella looked at him from her corner of isolation and allowed a small smile to grace her face, "Yeah, you did."

Edward smiled softly back at her, then rested his head back on the seat, shutting his eyes.

Neither one could get the other off their mind the rest of the night. For better reasons than they previously had, though.

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**Told you this would be quicker! Thanks to buhbeesgirl for pre-reading, and Tosh for betaing. **

**Recs:**

**Dead on My Feet by Cesca Marie** Very real. In recovery from cancer, friendless high schooler Edward meets Bella. She helps him live.

**Coming Through the Rye by Mac214 **Scotward. Woof. Very sweet though.

**Tangled Up in Blue by TxBirdie** If I wasn't such a dope, I'd have been able to rec this to you long ago. But because I get far too busy, I let it slip through my fingers. Starts off J/B, but it certainly doesn't continue that way.

And if you are a slash fan, make sure you are reading **I Wept Not** by ArcadianMaggie. Beautiful Jas/Ed story. AU, but also not.


	9. Cotton Briefs

**I don't own Twilight.**

**I added a bit at the end after receiving it back from my beta, so any mistakes are purely my fault, not hers.  
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A full month passed in that fashion, with Edward and Bella's strained relationship slowly evolving into passing tolerance for one another, before becoming a sort of tortured fondness. Though, if you asked either one, they'd both swear up and down that it was purely for the sake of their work environment. Well…_Edward's_ work environment.

At first, they attempted to continue utilizing the avoidance technique, but it seemed that Fate had other plans. Edward's schedule was changed around a bit, and Bella began waking up before noon for some inexplicable reason, resulting in more opportunities for them to encounter each other.

One such meeting occurred in the elevator.

Edward purposely chose to ride an elevator that was farther away from Bella's suite, in hopes that he wouldn't see her. Sometimes, it was just easier.

What he hadn't counted on, though, was Bella's impatience with waiting for the car closest to her room to arrive. Instead, she set off down the hall to the next bay, and since it was Edward's lucky day, she was already in the descending car when the doors opened for him. Since it would have been rude to grimace and say he'd wait for the next one, he smiled tightly and entered the metal box with the ridiculously lush interior.

As they each stood in their respective halves of the car, the silence echoed loudly, so Edward made the leap.

"Everything going well?"

"Yep." Bella continued staring straight ahead with anticipation for the arrival of her floor.

Edward pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows, then slowly nodded his head in acknowledgement of the awkwardness. The soft 'ding' signifying their destination cut the dead air like a bullet to their ears, making each startle slightly. Bella barely managed to wait until the doors were fully open before all but vaulting through the gap.

Edward stood stunned for a moment, muttering, "Okay, then." He caught the doors before they closed, and exited.

They next ran into each a full week later—twice in the same day. How fortuitous for them.

Normally, Edward was able to pawn deliveries for Bella off on the other guys working, but since it was Sunday, he was the only one around to do the deed. Off he went, reluctantly.

When he rang her doorbell, he sent up a half-hearted prayer that Alice would answer the door rather than Bella, if only to keep from having to temper his reaction to her.

He waited a couple minutes, but there was no answer. He rang the little button again, leaning back against the adjoining wall to wait.

When there was still no response (and he knew she was home), he began to slightly worry that something was wrong. He then chastised himself, because there could be plenty of not-bad reasons for her absence. Maybe she was sleeping. She could be showering.

Showering. Yes, that was it. She was soaping herself up, running that sponge-thingy up and down her long legs, over her—

Okay, next thought.

What if there really was something wrong? He knocked.

No answer.

Looking at the master keys in his hand, he thought about it for a moment before succumbing to the need to make sure she was okay. He could always use the pretense that he needed to get her packages inside the doors if everything was fine.

Still running possible scenarios for why she hadn't answered the door, he wasn't quite prepared for what he saw when he entered.

Bella.

Dancing.

In her underwear.

She was shifting her weight back and forth, from foot to foot, but what he noticed most was her ass. The ass that was shaking around, jiggling just the slightest bit. Jiggles are nice. Jiggles are good. Jiggles are hypnotizing.

Bella continued…dancing, if that is what it was…and turned just enough to realize that there was a person standing in her door. She saw who it was and yelped, trying to hide her not-so-covered bits from view with a nearby couch pillow.

Edward's eyes widened as she yanked the earbuds out of her ears (which he then realized were connected to an iPod, thus explaining why she hadn't heard him) and averted his eyes…but not quickly enough. He got a nice eyeful first.

"What the _hell_ are you doing in here?" Bella screeched at him.

"I'm sorry! I was trying to drop these boxes off for you, and you didn't come to the door. I wanted to make sure…I thought something might be wrong!"

"Well, as you can see, _I'm just fine_." She edged her way to the bedroom in hopes of getting out of his line of sight, at least long enough to get a robe to throw on.

Edward finished stacking the boxes inside her doors, shaking his head at himself in chastisement. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, just waiting for her to reappear so she could sign for her delivery.

Bella's cheeks were bright red by the time she made it back out, unceremoniously grabbing the signature pad from Edward and hastily signing. He accepted it back, and turned without a word to leave.

"Wait." He paused, hand on the doorknob. "Were you really worried about me?"

How did he answer? If he said yes, he ran the risk of her knowing that he thought about her far too much. If he said no, he looked like a shameless ass who was just trying to snoop on her.

Hesitantly, he looked her in the eye and said, "Yeah, I was." He braced himself for her laughter and ridicule, but it never came.

Her lips formed a small smile before she quietly thanked him.

Edward left, feeling a little lighter.

Of course, the mental image he'd saved of her in those tiny cotton briefs didn't hurt, either.

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The second time they encountered each other that day, Bella felt the flush of heat as she recalled their run-in that morning.

She was leaving to meet Alice for a late lunch, when she remembered that she needed a light changed in her kitchen. Lucky for her, Edward was walking through the lobby on his way back to the maintenance office.

He saw her across the way, greeting her with a smile and short nod, but she called for him to wait.

Approaching him, Bella said, "Hey, um, one of my kitchen lights blew out this morning. I'm not sure if it was just a bulb or what, but do you think you could fix it?" Her big, brown, doe eyes were so pleading that he didn't hesitate to confirm he could. Damn those eyes.

"Okay. Well, I don't know if you want to wait until I get back, or when you can do it…"

"I can wait, if you want. I've still got a list of things to do." They both were quiet for a moment, and it seemed that something had charged the air.

"Sure, I'll let you know when I come back later. Um, thanks…okay. All right." Bella stammered a bit, not knowing what to do next.

Edward smiled and casually nodded his head in the direction he was headed, saying his goodbye.

Bella did the same and left, wondering why she felt a little giddy at the prospect of seeing the man later.

* * *

Edward's cell phone buzzed at four o'clock. He glanced at the display, not recognizing the number. Answering simply, "Masen," he cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder in order to finish clocking out.

"Oh, hey, Edward. It's Bella." He nearly dropped the phone in surprise before recalling their conversation earlier.

"Bella, hey, I...wait, how did you get my number?" He tried to think back if he had given it to her, but didn't remember doing so. Thank fuck he'd answered with 'Masen' instead of 'Cullen'.

"Oh, um… employee phone list?" She said it like a question, indicating she knew it probably wasn't the right way to go about getting it. But who was he fooling; he probably would have done the same thing in her shoes.

He laughed and replied, "So I'm guessing that you are home now, and want your light fixed?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind? I mean, if you are busy, it can wait." This was an interesting new side to Bella. Thinking of others was a fairly foreign concept for her. Edward tried not to be too impressed.

"Well, I just clocked out, but I can come up and take a look if you want. I don't have plans or have to get anywhere right now or anything." Way to ramble, Slick.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to have to work when you are off."

"Yeah, it's fine; give me a minute to get up there." Edward assured her one more time, then hung up and headed to the elevators.

On the ride up, he contemplated what he was doing. He was setting a precedent of doing favors for her. Was it a smart move? He supposed he would find out. At that point, he wasn't sure what their relationship was, if you could even refer to it as such.

He couldn't deny that he was attracted to her. He definitely would have hit on her prior to now, if it wasn't for her wretched personality. Then again, he had been noticing small changes in her when they were around one another lately. Maybe all she needed was for someone to really call her on her shit, match up to her pigheadedness. That, he could do… in abundance.

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**Hello there. I know, it is short. I'm writing the next one as you read, so don't worry, it will come soon. **

**Thanks to Tosh for beta work. Kisses.**

**Recs:**

**This Buried Life by Emmanuelle Nathan**

**Parachute by KitsuShel**

**The Unaccompanied Soul by JMCullen09**


	10. Claire and Leo

**Twilight is not mine. Thanks to Ms Tosh, as usual.**

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Bella answered the door quickly, since she was prepared for Edward's visit this time. She didn't think she'd ever be able to live down the skivvy-dancing he'd witnessed that morning. She had been jamming to some JT and Timbaland (Really, who doesn't move their ass to that combo?), and _really_ hadn't been expecting company.

She felt her heart stutter a bit at the brilliant, white smile that greeted her when she opened the door. _Down, girl_.

"Hey."

"Hey." Okay, now that the salutations were dispensed with, Bella had to force herself back to the present in order to avoid leering. _Too late_.

She cleared her throat and thumbed in the direction of the kitchen. "It was the kitchen light."

Edward nodded and headed back to the kitchen to inspect the broken lamp. After deducing it was just a blown bulb, he had the whole thing replaced and operating within fifteen minutes.

They stared at each other a moment, trying to figure out what to do next. This time, Bella took the leap.

"So, you said that you had no plans...you're uh, you're welcome to stick around. If you want? I was just watching a movie..." She trailed off, expecting him to say 'no thanks', but Edward was always full of surprises.

"Sure."

"Really? I was watching _The Princess Bride_, not exactly a manly flick." He shrugged, and she allowed a brief smile to flit across her lips. "Okay, then." Edward followed her back to the living room, and they each took up residence on separate couches.

Imagine Bella's surprise when Edward interjected bits of dialogue throughout the movie, and was able to recite Vizzini's entire iocaine powder speech. She was duly impressed, and told him so.

"Yeah, well, it is one of my mom's favorite movies. We shared quite a few movie nights when I was younger." He shrugged, indicating it really wasn't a big deal.

Training his eyes on her, his mouth opened again of its own accord, speaking before he could think. "You aren't as bad as I thought."

Not knowing whether to be flattered or insulted, Bella turned incredulous eyes on him. "Um, thanks?"

Edward shook his head, repeating a familiar chastisement of '_you are an idiot'_ in his mind. "That came out way wrong. We've just had such a rocky acquaintance so far, you've acted like you hate me far more often than you are able to tolerate me. But then I see you like this-relaxed…it's just difficult to reconcile with what I know."

Bella looked thoughtful for a moment, mulling over his words. "I guess I didn't really like you for a while there. Maybe I still don't." She smirked at him. He smiled and rolled his eyes. "I don't generally get people talking to me the way you did-do. It, uh...it took some getting used to."

Edward studied her face briefly, before stating softly, "You don't have to be the bitch, Bella. People will like you anyway." Bella looked down at her intertwined hands, not comfortable with the sudden introspection. Instead of answering, she changed the subject.

"So what about you? I don't know all that much about where you're from." She gave him a friendly smile, and he shifted uncomfortably.

He was not quite ready to get into that. There was a nagging feeling telling him that he needed more time as Edward Masen. She wasn't ready for Edward Cullen, not yet. _Of course, neither was he_.

Feeling slightly scrutinized, he swept his eyes around the room, landing on the racks upon racks of compact discs along one wall.

"Are those CDs? I didn't figure you for the tangible music type." Bella narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"How old do you think I am? I'm not too young to appreciate the time before everything was digital, you know." Her gaze followed him around the room, watching his fingers ghost over each jewel case before noticing the stereo system tucked into the corner.

"Hm, let's see what you have in here, shall we?" He flashed a coy grin in Bella's direction, causing her to flush. _Getting quite tired of that._

"Oh God, I don't even remember the last time I used that thing!" Bella's mind frantically searched, trying to recall what she had in the player. It wasn't until Edward had pushed 'play' and the music came pouring out that she laughed, memories of Alice and her dancing around the room to the soundtrack.

Edward turned in surprise, the sound of her laugh reaching down into his soul. She'd never laughed in his presence before. He liked it. "_Romeo + Juliet_, huh? Even _I_ liked that one."

He approached Bella, who was still smiling, and began to tease her about her morning dance routine. "You know, I can teach you to dance. I do have a bit of experience in the area." She didn't need to know that Esme had corralled him and Emmett into dance classes in order to learn how to properly 'partner' a lady.

Bella huffed indignantly, but couldn't deny the hand he held out in offering. _It's a fast song_, she told herself, _completely innocent._

Right.

They swooped and swirled around the room to _Young Hearts Run Free_, laughing and forgetting that they couldn't stand each other. Edward spun her around several times, both of them loosening up considerably.

It was on one such twirl that Bella found her balance stolen, forcing her to end up in his arms, and the song conveniently changed to _Kissing You_. The mood song to end all mood songs. _Of course_.

Edward lost himself for a moment, reveling in the warm feeling of her in his embrace. Their laughter ceased abruptly, a palpable tension entering the atmosphere.

Their hearts pounded against each other's ribcage, both afraid to breathe too deeply for fear of pressing far more than just their chests together.

"Bella," Edward hesitated before continuing, "I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. You drive me crazy. I'm pretty sure you hate me, and yet, here we are."

As Des'ree sang in the background, Bella's mind raced. _So many things wrong with this_. "Not to mention, I _am_ technically your boss."

Edward chuckled briefly, and once again, his brain to mouth filter conveniently shut itself off, "Well, I don't really need this job." Two pairs of eyes darted between their matches and mouths, both denying yet yearning.

Bella's eyes didn't leave Edward's pouty lips while his statement registered in her mind, and she pursed her lips briefly, "What do you mean by that? How do you not need the job?"

Edward realized his mistake, and had to think quickly lest she press for more.

Though kissing her _really _hadn't been in the plan for the evening, it seemed as good a time as any. Between the mood music and Bella's hands creeping around his waist, he made a decision.

_If I'm going to hell, may as well do it thoroughly._

Pressing his lips to hers was unlike any sensation he had ever experienced. The way they yielded to his, yet captured them at the same time, and the thrumming undercurrent of tension they both carried, Edward nearly lost himself in the moment. Only the abrupt change of tempo in the music, caused by the ending of one song and beginning of a new one, shook him awake.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck. Not good, not good at all. _

Bella nearly toppled forward when Edward suddenly pulled back, gripping her by the shoulders. She recognized the wild look in his eyes, and clapped her hands across her mouth. _That wasn't supposed to happen!_

"Oh, my god." Her eyes widened as she realized their mistake, and within moments, each was apologizing profusely.

"I am so, _so_ sorry. I should _never_ have crossed that line. You're my-"

"We can't do this. Holy shit, we can't do this-"

"I think I need to get going-"

"Why don't we call it a night-"

Realizing the music was still playing, Bella stepped quickly to the stereo, successfully silencing it. She stood with her head down for a few moments, and Edward wasn't quite sure what to do.

"Bella, I'm sorry. Really. I don't-I'm not sure... Can we just forget this happened? I don't want things to be awkward or anything, and I certainly don't want you to feel weird around me now." He lied through his teeth. He knew he wouldn't forget about what transpired.

Taking another minute to clear her head, Bella knew he was right. This couldn't happen. They barely tolerated one another. It had to go back to the way it was. It didn't matter that she maybe enjoyed it..._okay fine, she did_. No. She intensely disliked this man. He was a cocky man-whore who _worked_ for her, for cripe's sake!

"You're right." She turned and smiled brightly. "We got lost in the moment. No harm, no foul."

"You sure? Because I don't really want to come in to work tomorrow and have a sexual harassment case thrown at me, you know." He half-grinned to let her know he was kidding...partially.

She laughed sharply at the notion. "Ha, no, that won't happen, I promise. Besides, you're not my type."

Edward dropped his jaw jokingly, giving her an exaggeratedly incredulous look as she winked at him. "Hm, okay, if you say so."

She smirked and said, "Even if you _were_ my type, I'm not one to share. You have far too much fun flirting with anything that has tits. 'Tis rather slutty, don't you think?"

Edward narrowed his eyes at her, deciding whether to just accept the jab she threw his way or to strike back.

He struck back. He needed to feel in charge again. _Men._

"Well at least I'm not a snobby princess who expects everything in life to come easy."

Bella tossed a sarcastic smile his way before raising her arm, and with a middle finger flourished in his direction sneered, "Bye, Edward."

"Later, Heiress." he was out the door before she could protest his use of her nickname.

Bella slapped her palm to her forehead forcefully, adding a few more slaps for good measure. _What had she gotten herself into?_

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_**Hello. I told you I'd be updating faster! ;)**

**Nothing to rec this time.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Confessions Via Nailpolish

**Twilight is not mine. Thanks Tosh for corralling my 'reallys', really. And thanks buhbeesgirl for stroking my ego.**

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Bella squirmed as the nail technician attempted to rub her heel with the pumice. She never could get used to pedicure tickles. Trying to suppress her giggles, she turned to Alice in an attempt to distract herself from the terrible urge to kick her foot out, thus whacking the poor nail technician in the face.

"So what's up for the weekend, Ali?"

Alice made a face as she leisurely flipped through her gossip magazine, answering, "Not sure yet. Jasper called, but I didn't answer the phone. It's easier if I just don't talk to him very often." Bella nodded and closed her eyes, leaning her head back on the massaging chair she sat in.

"Did you do anything interesting last night?" Alice's question caused her to jerk upright suddenly, worrying that Alice knew something.

"Why, what did you hear?" Bella's wild-eyed look received a side-eyed one from her sister.

"Um, nothing. That would be why I asked you." Alice raised her eyebrows at her high-strung sister, wondering what caused the abrupt reaction.

Bella covertly wiped the sweat from her brow; she had gotten a bit too nervous while awaiting Alice's answer. Why was she acting like a guilty criminal caught in a lie? Nothing happened. Not really.

"Oh. Well, nothing. I did nothing. Just watched a movie. By myself." Too much? _Hmm_?

"I'm going to pretend you aren't being really weird right now. Because really, you are." Alice made her patented 'I'm judging you in my head, but I'm too nice to say what I really think' face, and Bella sighed.

"IkissedEdward." _Damn word vomit_. Bella's forehead fit nicely into the shape of her firmly-slapped palm.

Alice's hand froze midway through flipping the next page. Her eyes began to look so far to the side that Bella was afraid she would dislocate them. _Is that possible?_ She wasn't sure, but if it were, Alice was about to do just that.

"I'm sorry, mumbling sister say what?" She contemplated telling Alice she should think about a career as a police interrogator, seeing as how her pupils boring little holes into the side of Bella's head were enough to make her want to confess every little sin she had ever committed. She thought better of it, though. It wouldn't have gone over well.

"I. Kissed. Edward." Her face scrunched up for a moment as she replayed the scene in her head. "Well, he actually kissed me, but I did kiss him back."

The flurry of sharp whacks on her arm from the magazine Alice had been reading sent Bella cowering into the spacious corner of her massage chair, attempting to fend off the attack. She noticed a high-pitched keening in the air, and realized it was Alice screeching at her.

"Why isn't this information that was shared with me _immediately? Were you not going to tell me? If I hadn't asked, WOULD I EVER HAVE KNOWN?" _Yes, she was yelling in a nail salon.

"Oh, my GOD, would you stop _hitting me_?" Bella swatted back at her until she was able to procure the rolled-up magazine-cum-deadly weapon, and fling it across the room.

"FINE. Sorry, whatever, but really? This happened last night, and it took me giving you shit for being weird in order for you to tell me? Was it that crappy? Did his breath smell bad? Did he drool? Did he get a good grope in? Did you? Did-"

"ALICE. STOP." Once Bella had Alice's attention, she continued. "For the love of Gucci, did you put extra sugar in your espresso this morning? Jeez. Okay. Here's the deal: it was just a kiss. A kiss that shouldn't have happened. We got caught up in the moment, he blindsided me…really, I think it was more of a deflection on his part...I can't actually remember what we were discussing, but that was probably the point."

Alice sat, rapt with attention, chin propped in her upturned palms while her elbows rested on the arm of her plush chair. "You didn't tell me anything worthwhile. Where was the groping? The face-sucking? You're withholding. Spill. Now."

"Alice, I told you, there's nothing to spill." Lies. Bella knew exactly what she was not sharing. He tasted like cotton candy, angels sung when their lips met, his warm hands felt perfect against her skin, and if she didn't get away from this line of thought, she'd be seeking him out again. Not the greatest idea, since they had both agreed that it wasn't in their best interest to do anything of the sort, ever again. Maybe. Right? Right, of course.

Maybe.

"Isabella Swan, I see that look in your eyes. Stop _lying_ to me." Alice raised one small fist, shaking it at her sister in a not-so-veiled threat.

"Ugh, fine. Can we go get lunch first, though? I'm starving." Bella nonchalantly began to pack up her belongings and headed for the door, leaving a stationary Alice still sitting in her chair. "Did you want the story, oh excuse me, _sordid details_, or not?" Faster than you could say 'gossip-whore', Alice was at her side and the two headed to lunch.

"So he said that? '_Well at least I'm not a snobby princess who expects everything in life to come easy.'_ Wow. I mean, not off the mark, but I can't believe he said it." Alice fished around in her bag, searching for floss. That chicken wrap really got stuck in her teeth.

"Hey!" Bella pouted at Alice's remark, especially because she had been trying to change lately. She felt she had made progress, even going so far as to give Michael and Mrs. Stanley the weekends off, while still paying them their full salary. Rather generous, she thought.

"_I'm just saying._ That's exactly how you've acted, up until recently." Alice gestured toward her, acknowledging her changes with a simple flick of the wrist.

Bella sighed. "Well, to be fair, I think we were both a bit frazzled by what had happened, and our emotions got the better of us. I wasn't all that nice, either. I'm just not sure what to do, Ali." She sat back in a huff, crossing her arms across her chest. Hair fell in her face and she tried blowing it back repeatedly, before flailing in an effort to get the wretched strands out of her eyes. "He's got me all...discombobulated."

"Hey, big word, score ten for you."

"Thank you."

"But really, I'm not sure what to do here. He works for me, Ali. Technically. Wouldn't it look bad if we had a thing? Shit, I don't even know if there _is_ a 'thing', really. He did say he wanted to forget about it, and why would you want to forget it if it had been _good_? Oh my god, what if he thought I was a bad kisser?" Bella's mouth couldn't keep up with her lust-addled mind as she tried to replay the scene-again-to see if she had done anything wrong, anything at all.

Wait, why did she care? She didn't want him. He didn't want her. It didn't matter.

"You want him."

"Excuse me?"

"You want him. Admit it. If you didn't, you wouldn't have thought twice about the whole thing. You wouldn't have told me about how his perfect mouth and perfect lips fit yours, about how you felt all warm and tingly when he wrapped his arms around you, or about how shitty you felt when he said those things. If you didn't want him, you wouldn't care."

Bella sat silently for a moment, processing Alice's words. Maybe she did want him. Maybe she even already knew that, but didn't want to admit it. She let out an exasperated groan.

"But, Ali, even if all that were true-okay, FINE, it is true, stop rolling your eyes-it wouldn't matter. He's...not the type of guy that Isabella Swan dates. Do you even realize the headlines that would make? '_The Heiress Scrapes the Gutters'_ and _'Heiress Swan Dates from the Inside'_. And those are the nice ones! I don't even want to imagine how the mean ones would read."

"I'm sorry, I just imagined that you were whining about the possible implications of dating someone outside of your 'social class'." Alice's face had always been expressive, but the combination of emotions—disbelief and exasperation all rolled up in one neat little package—visible at that moment was masterful.

"I'm serious, Ali. You know I'm right! The media would have a field day!" Bella picked at the last of her steak fries.

Alice sat quiet for a minute, trying to figure out how to make her understand that, in the end, it doesn't matter what 'everyone else' says.

"Bella, what if you loved this man? What if he was the one that you wanted to be with the rest of your life? If your love encompassed you entirely, to the point of never wanting to leave his side? Would it matter then?" She then got up to use the restroom, itching to be rid of the feeling of stuck food in her teeth.

Bella mulled over Alice's words while she was gone. Of course it wouldn't matter. If she loved someone that strongly, nothing else would ever matter, but she didn't love Edward, so it was difficult to ascertain her response in regard to him.

Alice returned, feeling right as rain, and expecting an answer.

"So, would it matter? Pretend Edward was 'that guy'. Would you care about the headlines then?"

The answer came to Bella as a singular bubble in her mind. No.

"No, I wouldn't." Alice sat back, pleased with herself, while Bella considered things with a whole new perspective.

There was plenty to think about.

* * *

**Hey there, very few people I still have reading...so sorry about the wait. I had to worst block. 2 months, to be exact. Sucked, hardcore. However, I had a breakthrough on Monday. I was able to write this, and then today I was able to rewrite the rest of the outline so I know exactly what to do with it. My goal is to get this sucker finished by 12/31/10. We are more than halfway over, but since I don't know exactly how many more chapters, I can't say that part. **

**Secondly, I'm sorry, I suck at review responses. I try to do them, but I get so behind...just know I read every single one, and appreciate them very much. I'll try to be better about it from here on out!**

**Ok, a few recs:**

**Tunes with Tony Masen **by Just4ALE - this fic is great. Twists and turns that I never see coming, and that says a lot.

**Fall to Ruin One Day** by sleepyvalentina - Senator Edward Cullen seems to want to clean up the mess he made years ago. I like sleepyval's short chapters, because it means quicker updates.

**Bella Swan: Zombie Killer** by Kristen Nicole - it took me forever to start this, so I'm kicking myself. Love it.

**Giofógach **by ltlerthqak - Lovely imagery and great story-telling.

**Hide in Plain Sight **by FangMom - Oh I feel for this Bella, hardcore.

**America's Sweethearts** by ciaobella - Her new one doesn't disappoint. I already want to punch Edward in the face.

**Died and Gone to Heaven** by DoUTrustMe - complete, and so fun. It's just...real. And sexy.

Yes, there are a lot of recs...when blocked, you have a lot of time to read...thanks!


	12. Role Reversal

**Twilight is not mine.**

* * *

Edward stood up from his crouched position after he was finished fixing the broken leg of the coffee table in the lobby, and glanced around the area quickly. He saw Bella coming from the elevator bay, and caught her eye. She smiled warmly and gave a small wave. He raised his hand briefly in return, but thought better of going over to say 'hi'.

They had agreed to forget about their kiss, but Edward knew he wouldn't. The best he could do was keep his distance, allowing her to dictate how their...relationship would go.

Alice appeared in his periphery and smiled brightly at him before bounding over.

"Hey Edward!" He couldn't help but smile at her exuberance.

"Hi, Alice, how're you doing?"

"I'm peachy. Been up to anything _interesting_ lately?" Her cheeky grin had him puzzled, like she was sharing an inside joke that he should know the other half of.

"Ah, no, not really." He let out a half-laugh, unsure of how to answer.

"Well perhaps you will in the future." Her wink baffled him further, and he felt exceptionally lost.

Bella's voice intruded on their tête-à-tête, "Now, Alice, I thought I told you to quit bothering Edward while he's working." She playfully shook her finger at her sister, and received a stuck-out tongue in response. She grinned at Edward, who was slightly taken aback at her jovial nature. He uncertainly smiled back.

"Oh! Edward, did you want to come with us? You get off soon, right? We're going out with Jas and Rose, and I think Jas' friend Emmett." Edward's eyes flicked to Bella's face at the mention of Emmett, but it seemed the girls held no knowledge of his connection with him.

He thought for a few seconds, looking between the two girls, before finally declining. "Thanks, Alice, but I think I'll stay in tonight. I think the weekend really took it out of me for some reason; I'm about ready to drop."

"Aw, okay, I guess. Maybe next time?" He smiled and agreed, but not before noticing Bella's smile falter and her eyes flash to the floor.

The group bade their good-byes and Edward watched them leave before gathering up his tools and making his way to the maintenance room where he clocked out for the day.

xxxxx

Bella found herself hanging around the public areas of the hotel more and more, and she couldn't deny that it was because she hoped to catch a glimpse of the man that made her heart do flips.

After Alice pointed out that nothing should come before a chance at love, she truly did contemplate a future with Edward. She didn't love him, not at that time anyway, but she couldn't help wondering if she _could_ grow to love him.

She was pretty sure it might be easy to fall in love with him, if she ever stopped pushing him away long enough for it to happen. He was charming, affable, really rather nice when he wasn't being a complete dick, and of course, who could miss his extremely attractive...everything.

After she had stripped away all the arguing and forced disinterest, she found that she was very attracted to him. Their shared kiss had not done a damn thing to dissuade her from that, either. It was pure torture, the need to touch him, the desire to grab his face and pull him to her own, the yearning to run her hands all over his body. A body that she hadn't even had the fortune to see…yet. Just the singular instance during their kiss when she ran her hands over his back...the feel of solid muscle and the curvature of his shoulders was enough to give her palpitations. In _several _locations.

But now, weeks later, she wasn't sure what to do. The few times they had crossed paths in the hotel had been slightly awkward, with neither knowing exactly how to act. She had tried to be open and friendly, but she could tell that he just wasn't sure what to do. What a pair they made.

Each time Edward had been invited out with the group, he declined, always having some reason or other that he couldn't go. Bella tried to push away the nagging feeling that it was because of her presence, because why would he care if she were there? He never did before.

The last time, he had missed a great showdown between the girls.

Alice had been rather dictatorial lately, spouting off advice (especially about their love lives) every chance she got. This time, she stepped on the wrong toes.

"Why does _he_ have to come with us tonight, _again_?" Rosalie was doing her usual song-and-dance over her utterly manufactured disdain for Emmett. Anyone with eyes could see that she wanted him, but of course, it was Alice that decided to use her mouth and point this out.

"Oh, can it, Rose, you know you want him. I don't know _why_ you insist upon putting on this show, and making him work so damn hard for you. He wants you, you want him, just do it already!"

Rose and Bella stared at her, mouths hanging open, shocked at her tirade. This was not the Alice they knew. This imposter was...a bitch. Bella was usually the one to say things like that, not Alice.

Rose apparently had grown tired of the 'new Alice', and this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Ex_cuse_ me? Miss I'm-Going-To-Completely-Deny-That-Jasper-Has-Been-Doing-Everything-He-Can-To-Get-Back-In-My-Good-Graces? My brother has tried, _over_ and _over_ again to apologize to you. He knows he's been an idiot. He's _sorry _that he never noticed the feelings you had for him-NOT that you ever TOLD him about them-and for some unGODly reason, he likes you. _He wants you_." At this point, Alice tries to cut in and deny that, but Rose is having none of that.

"Oh, you didn't know that? Yeah, that's because you've been too busy shoving it in his face that you've 'moved on,' and he's missed his chance. OH, BUT WAIT, YOU HAVEN'T. That's right, Miss Faker, we know that you are still in love with him! You can't fool us! So really, put us all out of our misery and _talk to the boy_. Just _do it_ already!" She punctuated the final words with jabs to Alice's breastbone, causing her to flinch and rub the sore spots.

Alice's face stays deadly still for an instant, right before it crumples and the tears run freely. Rose rolls her eyes but still murmurs for her to come over, enveloping her in a hug. Bella is shell-shocked at what has transpired, and takes a minute to snap out of it, seeing her sister upset.

"Shh, shh, shh, baby, it's okay, c'mere." Bella takes her from Rosalie, who looks sorry but at the same time, not. They exchange a look that needs no words: Rose's saying, '_she needed to hear that', _and Bella's replying, '_I know_.' Bella attends to her sister again, who is now snot-sobbing and in dire need of a tissue. _Gross_.

Alice pushes out words in between the wails, though they practically need a decoder ring to understand it. "I'm..._sob_...sorrrr..._hiccup_...I don..._sniff_...know whyyy..._snot blow_..._mumble mumble_...thought I could..._sob_...get passss himm..."

"O-kayyy Alice, honey, just calm down. We can't understand you. Just breathe. In. Out. In. Out." Bella rubbed her back soothingly, trying to get her to relax, or at least tone down the torrent of tears.

After a few deep breaths and nose blows, Alice seemed to be coherent once again, much to the delight of both Rose (who was tired of the theatrics) and Bella (who was grossed out by the snot). Sighing deeply, she tried again.

"I'm sorry. I know I've been a bitch, but I thought I needed to be in order to distance myself from Jasper. Of course I still love him, Rose. I can't just _stop_ that, no matter what I tell myself, but I wanted to let him go. I always thought that we'd end up together, but it has been so long, and I just don't know if I can handle it if he rejects me again." She pleadingly looks at her sister and friend, but neither planned to allow her to continue on this path.

In a gentler tone, Rose reiterates some of her speech, "He wants you, Al—he does—but he's at the end of his rope; he doesn't know what else to do. I think the ball's in your court, babe."

Alice nodded glumly, not quite sure how she would be able to pull it off.

Bella decided to use her own words against her.

"Alice, a smart bitch once told me that nothing else matters if you love someone. Or something to that effect." She grinned at her sister, who let out a chuckle and then a sniff, smiling through watery eyes. She nodded slowly, and knew that she would just have to find a way to fix it all.

Glad to see her sister back in better spirits, Bella realized that she had no idea that Jasper had been trying to talk to Alice. "Um, hang on, why did I not know that Jas has been making attempts? Where the hell was I?"

It was Alice and Rose's turn to rip into Bella, and they gleefully did.

"Well, missy, _you_ have been too busy mooning over Edward for you to notice anything around you!"

"Yeah, and, since he hasn't been coming out with us, your 'joiner skills' have begun to slack. Any correlation?" Alice gave her Cheshire-smile, and Bella felt the blood rush to her face.

"I'm invoking the Fifth Amendment. Go away."

Alice laughed at her before gasping at her reflection in the compact she'd produced from her clutch. "I need to get to the bathroom and fix my face! I look like a melting Madame Toussaud figure."

As if on cue, Jasper and Emmett walked into the bar and headed in their direction. The girls all looked at each other with an understanding glint in their eyes, and two of the three set their sights on 'their' men.

Now what was Bella going to do about hers?

* * *

**Oh, hey there. Yes, I did update twice within one week. Yay me. **

**So normally I'm not big on bribery...but if I told you that there was a chapter teaser in response to a review, would you review? If you don't want it, that's cool, let me know in your review that you don't. But it will be there if you do review.**

**Rec:**

**Remember Me** by isakassees - This is a really sweet story. It just is. Great for when you need a smile and an awwww.


	13. Unidentified Spinning Slurpees

**Thank you Ms Tosh, for reigning in my tenses. That was a rough one. **

**I do not own Twilight.**

**

* * *

**

When the door swung open, Edward and Emmett were assaulted with loud, thumping beats and Bella's smile radiating off her face as she sloppily said hello.

"Edward! Emmett! How _are_ you?" Edward's eyes widened at the sight of her; the way her eyes were slightly glazed and her movements were loose and fluid-she had obviously started imbibing long before the party began.

"Hey, Bella. I'm good, but obviously not as good as you." Edward winked at her, and she giggled. Yes, giggled. Edward's gaze swung to his brother, and he muttered under his breath (but still loud enough for Emmett to hear), "Dude, this is not going to turn out well."

Emmett had spied the rest of the party going on behind the open door, and a wide grin split his face. He responded to Edward without looking at him, "Relax, it will be fine." Then he immediately waltzed into the suite performing his 'Emmett is Here' grand entrance; always a crowd-pleaser. Edward paused another moment, watching Bella hang off the door as Emmett announced himself. Her head shifted back to face Edward, followed by her eyes. She really was three-quarters of the way to Wastedville.

She smirked and cocked her head at Edward, motioning him inside. He anted up and raised with a smirk of his own, knowing full well what that usually did to women. Bella was not immune. He didn't miss her leg buckle before she caught herself, and his smirk grew into a toothy smile as he took the few steps needed for him to step inside.

Surveying the scene, Edward realized just how many people were in the suite, most of whom he didn't recognize. All of the available couches and chairs were occupied, those not lucky enough to get one standing in groups, and there wasn't much room to move around. Bodies swayed and moved in time with the music, and it felt more like an intimate dance club than someone's home.

"You know all these people?" Edward asked Bella, who hadn't left his side.

She glanced around, still smiling the easy, loopy smile of someone feeling good, "Yeah, either Ali or I do." She seemed to contemplate something for a moment before her face lit up, and she offered Edward a drink. He accepted, wondering what she'd been drinking to have her already nearly plastered.

Their trip to the bar on the far side of the room took a few minutes with Bella occasionally stopping to talk animatedly as they pushed through the throng of people.

Edward watched her, noting the progression in her character since he'd known her. It hadn't been too long, a few months, but there had been a definite change, especially in the past few weeks. He wondered why, not even giving a moment to think that it could be related to his presence.

They finally reached the bar, and Edward noticed a full array of liquor and beer, along with some slushy stuff rotating in a Slurpee machine behind the bartender. He raised an eyebrow at that, taking a wild guess that the concoction is what Bella'd had in her cup all night...and probably all day. He decided to skip trying that one.

"Stella, if you've got it." He tapped the bar, and the man nodded at him, quickly producing a bottle from somewhere underneath.

"I made sure they stocked them since I know it's your favorite." Bella's voice in Edward's ear startled him, the heat of her body radiating from her proximity. She was obviously not being shy tonight.

In that case, neither was he.

"Thanks. I see you've paid attention." He tilted his head down enough so that their faces were only inches apart. He noticed as Bella's breath hitched, and her eyelids fluttered momentarily.

Satisfied that he had affected her just as much as she had him, he took a long swig from his beer bottle. Bella watched his Adam's apple move smoothly up and down, up and down; she wanted to lick it.

Setting the empty bottle back on the bar, Edward nodded to the bartender, who swiftly handed over a second beer, but when he turned back around, Bella had vanished. He looked through the crowd, searching her out, before finally landing across the room where she was laughing and hugging Alice and Rose.

* * *

Bella needed a moment to cool off after watching Edward chug his beer. _Something so hot about that..._

Seeing Rose and Alice across the room, she squeaked in excitement before shoving her way through the crowded living area, making it to her girls after a few trips and stumbles and 'oh sorry' apologies.

"Ohmigod, Edward looks good tonight! I'm dying!" Alice and Rosalie hummed their agreement before each expanded upon the hotness of their respective men.

Rose had been eyeing Emmett since he walked in the door, and noticed that he seemed to be playing the 'I'm just fine without you' game that evening. He greeted every other female in the suite with the charming smile and the touchy-feeliness for which he was known, but she was determined not to let it affect her. She was failing miserably at it.

"Emmett's hot, but he knows it. Makes him less attractive." She mumbled the last bit into her plastic cup.

"Liar." Bella lurched over and pointed her finger at Rose, nearly turning over her half-empty cup.

Rose merely nodded her head as she drained the last of her drink.

"I think I'm gonna talk to Jasper tonight." Alice spoke up from her perch on the couch, where she had been sitting quietly.

"Oh is that what they call it now? Talk?" Bella snorted at her own joke, provoking an eye-roll from her sister.

"Yes, ya lush, _talk_. I have a lot to tell him...we have a lot to discuss." She nibbled on her nail thoughtfully. As if by kismet, Jasper appeared out of nowhere and plopped onto the empty cushions next to her.

"Ladies, good evening. You're all looking lovely." He eyed the cups in each of their hands and added, "And feeling good, I do believe?"

Alice turned her head and smiled shyly. "Hi, Jasper."

Jasper pretended to be shocked, and looked behind him before answering. "Oh, me? So you are talking to me again, huh?"

"We're just gonna...go." Rosalie grabbed Bella's hand and, much to her dismay, pulled her away from the far-too-interesting scene. "Don't you have a man to snag? I thought that was the plan tonight, and the reason you threw this party?" Her eyebrow arched sharply as she raised it at Bella.

"Well, how else was I supposed to get him in the same vicinity as me off the clock? I swear he avoids me, Rose! I've been trying so hard, but there isn't much I can do if he won't go anywhere outside the Swan with us! I need a refill." Bella's attention span was certainly curtailed, thanks to the alcohol in her system. Rose huffed (slightly) and followed her friend to the bar, clearly still trying to avoid her own romantic failures.

On their path to the bar, she was intercepted by Emmett, greeting, "Rose."

"Emmett." Before she could continue on her way, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the spare bedroom. She didn't put up too much of a fight; when she'd had a few drinks too many, she found that the strength to resist left her.

"We've got some things to talk about, Rosalie." He shut the door behind him and whirled, grabbing her by the hips. "I'm tired of this shit. I want you, you want me, let's see how it goes. I've never had to work this hard for a woman before. Can't say I like it."

Rose stared at him, slack-jawed, utterly unprepared for his demands. She couldn't concentrate much on what he was saying, thanks to the warmth of his mammoth hands on her body. She felt...relaxed, so she did the only thing she could think: grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him thoroughly.

"Does that work?" She asked, chest heaving with the exertion of trying to catch her breath.

"Hell, yes." Emmett turned them again, backing her up to the bed while slowly and soundly kissing her again. Her moans spurred him on, and his hands began roaming, feeling her feminine curves and ample assets. She sat down heavily on the bed, scooting herself back until her feet no longer touched the floor.

Emmett bent over her as she lay down, running his nose from her hip bone leisurely up her stomach, then between her breasts, kissing his way up her neck and over her jaw before reattaching himself to her mouth. His hands cupped her ass, prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist. He groaned at the heat pouring off her body and instinctively thrusted, eliciting desperate little cries from Rose.

"Just so you know, I'm not fucking you on this bed." Emmett froze and pulled his head back, "Excuse me?"

"I have to make you work somehow." Rose flashed a coy smile at him, and he growl-hummed, attacking her neck again, making her gasp out the rest of her tease. "We can do whatever you want, without clothes coming off. I don't have sex in my best friend's house. Oh, God." He covered her mouth with his again, and she felt him throb against her.

"Well, if it's gonna be that way, let's just see what I can do with those clothes on. I guarantee it will still feel like they're off." It was a good thing Rose hadn't had that 'one more drink' with Bella, because if she had, the way her eyes were rolling in the back of her head would have made her quite nauseous.

It was even more fortuitous that the music was so ridiculously loud in the party, because it drowned out Rose's 'oh God, oh God, yes, yes, yes' and subsequent screaming. Emmett's hand over her mouth helped muffle them, as well.

After she came to, Emmett's smiling face filled her field of vision, and he cockily said, "Told you so."

Jumping to his feet, Emmett wasted no time. "Let's go. My brother can find his own way home. I want you. In. My. Bed." He put out a hand to help her up, and as she reached up, she registered what he'd said.

"Your brother?"

"Uh, yeah, Edward? Anyway, let's go." He pulled her to her feet and went to open the door, but she resisted, staying where she was.

"What do you mean, Edward is your brother?" Emmett began to realize that something was afoul at the Circle K, and was suddenly very glad that Rose wasn't exactly sober.

He stepped back to her, running his fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp for a moment. It was distracting enough to get her to agree to put the topic aside. "I'll explain later, okay?" He didn't know what his brother had been up to, but he wasn't about to lie to this girl. Edward would just have to deal with it.

They exited the bedroom and Emmett sought Edward out, finding him laughing and drinking with Bella near the couches…the couches where Alice and Jasper were now making out. Right. Instead of heading that way, he decided to text Edward about his departure, and to get a jab in while doing so.

_Find a ride, I am now Rose's. And btw, still using Masen on Bella, r u? Tsk tsk_

He watched Edward fish in his pocket for his phone, then hid his grin as his head snapped up and looked for Emmett. Locking eyes, Edward silently pleaded with him not to fuck it up, but Emmett just shrugged. He'd let him think he was screwed for the moment, but he would make sure Rose understood, and that she couldn't tell Bella. He wasn't that much of a dick.

* * *

**Hmmm, not much longer until Bella herself finds out about Edward, huh? Hmmmm...next chapter will continue with the party.**

**Same deal applies: you review, you get teased. **

**Recs:**

**Ride by kris salvador **Raunchy fun, with a definite plot. This Edward is just so..._magnetic. _Can't resist.

**What Matters by Strae** ONLY IF YOU READ SLASH. Edward/Jasper...only Edward doesn't know it. I'm really enjoying it. Tests the boundaries of how far a 'straight' guy can go.


	14. Designer Shades of Sin

**Howdy. This would have been posted sooner, but my poor beta was sick for nearly a week. Bless her heart. You'll notice this one is longer...**

**Twilight is not mine.**

* * *

Suddenly terrified that his brother would do something stupid, Edward hastily shoved his phone back into his pocket. _Please don't let him tell Rose_. _Scratch that; please don't let Rose tell Bella. _He needed to deal with this his own way. And it needed to be soon.

He turned back to Bella, who was still laughing over whatever joke had just been told. She'd questioned his manhood earlier, inferring that she could drink him under the table, so he'd been drinking steadily since then, trying to catch up to her.

Because of this, they were getting more handsy and flirty. As the night wore on, he found himself casually touching her every chance he got: when addressing her directly, when laughing at a joke she—or anyone else—told, while asking if she needed a refill. If there was any reason to caress her skin, he snatched it.

To be fair, Bella was doing the same. No matter who was speaking in their group, her eyes consistently wandered back to him, and her fingers took it upon themselves to creep toward him in whatever fashion they could manage.

Both wanted to feel that inexplicable connection that occurred when they made contact, although neither recognized it as a need, it was just automatic.

"I better not see you two sneaking off to my guest room!" Bella wrinkled her nose at Alice and Jasper, who had clearly made up and were now embarking upon a new path together. Right down the other's throat.

"Wanna give them a run for their money?" Edward's low but still carrying voice sounded over her shoulder.

She gasped from surprise and turned to look at him, catching him in full smirk before he broke out laughing. Narrowing her eyes, she did what any mature adult would do in response: she smacked him across the shoulders. "Tease."

"Ah, now I'm only a tease if I don't follow through." Edward tipped his beer bottle at Bella and raised his eyebrows at her before bringing the rim up to his lips and finishing it off, never taking his eyes off her. She felt his gaze all the way down to her knickers. A sudden rush of lust surged through her, and she found herself saying, "Care to make good on that?"

Edward knew that there was a good and bad side to everything, this situation notwithstanding. The good side was that he would no longer have to pretend to be 'just friends' with her. The bad side, however, was that he knew it probably wasn't a good idea to move forward with Bella until she knew who he really was.

The proverbial angel and devil were sitting on his shoulders, trying to convince him that each of them had the better idea. Good Edward was reminding him to do things the right way. He should date her properly, first making sure she understood who he was and why he lived how he did.

Bad Edward said fuck that noise (Bad Edward had had a little too much to drink). The way Bella was eyeing him, he was ready to find the nearest bedroom and get down to business. The alcohol in him agreed.

By the time Edward made his decision, Bella had already moved on to the topic of Alice and Jasper, leaning back into him to whisper, "Do you think we could get some popcorn? I mean, this is better than porn." He watched them for a few seconds, head cocked to the side like a dog witnessing something new. Wondering if he should offer _them_ the bedroom (they were nearly horizontal already), Edward surreptitiously watched Bella from the corner of his eye for a few moments.

She was gorgeous. When she wasn't so absurdly worried about what everyone thought, and actually let her guard down, she glowed. Her hair was thick and shiny, and he wanted to put his fingers in it, bring a fistful up to his nose and just sniff. She probably smelled awesome. She looked like she smelled awesome.

Reaching out to lightly caress her shoulder, he pulled her back a bit so she rested between his legs. He kept his fingers curled over her shoulder and smoothly rubbed the nape of her neck with his thumb. He felt rather than heard her hum of contentment, her head lolling forward and backward a bit, urging him to continue. She finally dropped her head back against his chest, and he laid his cheek upon her crown, gently sighing.

"Dammit, I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella." And he really was. He had been resisting her for so long, he'd forgotten why it began in the first place.

Bella twisted in his hold until she was able to look into his eyes. They held the silent look for a few beats, and Edward felt his heart jump into his throat when she responded, "Then don't."

They were oblivious to the party still thumping around them. Bella's sister dry-humping one of her best friends on the couch, the melting slushee concoction in her cup—all of it faded away for those few seconds. Once the decision was made, however, it was mutual, and they wasted no time in clearing everyone out.

"Party's over, folks! You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Out!" Edward leapt to his feet and made the announcement while Bella scurried to the door to usher everyone out. One by one, two by two, people sloppily made their way out the doors, laughing and finishing their drinks. The bartender began cleaning up, but Edward stopped him, shoving a few hundred dollars in his hand and telling him to worry about it the next day. Grateful for the extra cash, the man had no problem hustling out.

Once the last person was out the door, Bella closed it with a resounding _thud_. She rested her back against it, watching Edward from across the room. He was eying her just as hungrily, and she suddenly had the urge to run to the bathroom and make sure she was presentable. While she always dressed to impress, that night had been a much more relaxed atmosphere, and she hadn't thought that she might hop in bed with a beautiful man. Granted, the party had been thrown specifically to allow her to get close to Edward in a non-bar or work setting, but she hadn't been sure he'd react positively.

"Can you give me five minutes?" She asked, smiling shyly. A grin flitted across his face, and he nodded. She disappeared into her bedroom, frantically throwing things in the closet and checking herself out in the mirror. _Not bad for half in the bag._

Still out in the living room, Edward checked on Alice and Jasper, who had managed to remove some articles of clothing. He briefly pondered alerting them to the fact that the party was over and everyone was gone, but then he realized...they probably didn't care. This was a long time coming for them. Who was he to stand in the way of true love? With a shrug of his shoulder, he did a watch check, decided it had been five minutes (whether it had or not), and headed toward Bella's room while finishing his beer.

He absently placed the empty bottle on the coffee table and locked his eyes on her door, making a beeline for the entrance to the promised land. Pushing the door open, he glanced around, not seeing Bella anywhere in sight. "Bella?" He called to her quietly.

Seeing a sliver of light coming from the ajar bathroom door, he nudged it open a little more. From his vantage point, he could see that she was brushing her hair, and inspecting her face in the mirror. He quietly walked up to her while her hair was obscuring her face and put his hands on her waist, making her jump.

"Stop," he whispered. "I want the real Bella. I want the Bella no one else gets to see. I don't need all this. You're perfect...just how you are, right this moment."

Bella felt the butterflies in her stomach go bonkers. She had to admit, no man had ever said things like that to her. They'd always expected her to look perfect, to act perfect, to _be_ perfect. But this man—he _wanted_ her imperfections, and she wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

Luckily, the alcohol still sloshing around in her stomach allowed her to let go of her hesitations and insecurities, and throw caution to the wind. She whispered back, equally quiet, "Okay." It was all she could manage to say, seeing as how her throat was all choked up with emotion.

Edward ran his palms up her sides, thumbs brushing the outside of her breasts, and then he tip-toed his fingers across her collarbones until they reached her slender neck. Pausing there, he felt the strong beat of her pulse before reaching up to brush the hair from her face. He cupped her jaw, and smoothed his thumbs across her cheekbones. "I'm going to kiss you now, okay? And...possibly some other things, if you don't mind." He couldn't help the grin that stretched across his face when she chuckled and nodded, and he finally bent down to give her a proper kissing.

Neither Bella nor Edward could have ever imagined how glorious a kiss could be, but if they had imagined it, it would have been something like that one. Their lips meeting was on par with a choreographed fireworks show—their hearts creating the music and their movements in synchronization, while their tongues greeting created a thousand pinpoints of light behind their eyes. If either had had their druthers about them, they would have laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of the perfection that they had been avoiding for so long.

Edward's hands roamed greedily up and down Bella's body, wanting to learn every swoop and curve. Bella was just as exploratory, savoring the lean and sinewy muscles beneath his clothing. Their dance of mouths and hands led them back into the bedroom, ending at the king-sized bed that was there. He gently pushed her so she was seated on the edge, and kneeled down between her legs. Running her fingers into his hair and gripping it for a second, she smiled down at his upturned face. A laugh erupted from his throat when she had to close one eye to focus.

"You certainly had a lot to drink. You sure you want this?" Though Edward said the words, he was silently pleading for her to say yes.

"Hell yes, cowboy. Don't start thinking now. Get up here." _Oh, thank God._

Bella hauled him up using her grip on his hair, and he grimaced, "Dammit, woman, lay off the hair. That shit hurts."

Her eyes widened and she dropped his hair immediately before starting to apologize...but she didn't get more than two words out before she was shut up with a smattering of kisses. Their comingled groans were embarrassingly loud, but it seemed they owed Alice and Jasper that bit of one-upmanship.

Climbing up from his kneeling position, Edward pushed her to lay back on the bed, and he made slow but short work of her clothing. Her shirt slid easily up her torso, and he couldn't refrain from raining kisses, from navel to breastbone, in its wake. After he eased it over her head, he stealthily snaked his hand under her to release her bra, replacing it immediately with hands and lips. The removal of pants and underwear followed quickly after.

Bella didn't think it was fair that he still had all his clothes on, and while she was reveling in the feeling of his lips all over her body, she reached down to attempt to yank his shirt up and over his head. Tipsy as they both were, it wasn't quite a ballet of disrobing, but the end result was all they cared about. _As well it should be._ Both sets of clothes lay in a puddle at Edward's feet, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to haul her up higher on the bed, while the other hand swiftly pulled back the covers to allow them underneath.

Edward would have liked to say that he was concentrating on nothing but unwrapping the beautiful woman in front of him, but his thoughts were warring in his head. He knew he needed to tell her who he really was before they went too much further, but he didn't want to ruin the harmony they were creating. He would tell her the next day. He had to. But for right now, he would just enjoy the moment.

"Fuck, why the hell did we wait so long for this? I can't think of one single good reason." Bella managed to speak long enough to share that thought, and Edward eked out an agreeable grunt.

The warmth of his hands on her body, and the softness of her skin under them heightened every sensation for both, slowly building an urgency in them that barely managed to stay contained under their tingling skin. Bella wanted to give all, and Edward was more than willing to take her offering. Their bodies met, and neither could say they had ever felt more complete. It was a feeling of home, of comfort, of truth. Edward decided right then that there was no way he could go without that feeling again, and that he would do whatever it took to hold on to it, to hold on to her.

Slick with perspiration and struggling to catch their breath, they came together in a harmonious duet, each gripping the other in a desperate embrace, frantic to suspend the bliss. Edward pressed his mouth to Bella's slowly, languidly, wiping the damp strands of hair away from her cheeks. Eyes met and smiles replaced rushed breaths, while fingers trailed down sensitive skin, producing full-body shivers.

Their inebriation had dulled to a low roar, and both were able to think more clearly at that point. Edward squinted at Bella, tickling her side lightly. "So, was that acceptable?"

Bella attempted to adapt a nonchalant look, shrugging with one shoulder. "It'll do." Her grin could not be contained for long, however, and Edward's feathery tickles coerced her to cave.

Her melodious laughter was music to his ears, and he just wanted to it to continue. He also wanted her to admit that it would more than just 'do'.

Through her bubbling laughs, she managed to give him what he was searching for. "Okay! Okay! It was divine! You are the Sultan of Sex! The Colossus of Coitus! It was the best fuck of my life! Stop tickling!"

Satisfied, Edward ceased his torment. Instead, he folded his hands over her stomach, resting his chin on the knuckles.

"You know it was more than a fuck, right?" He watched her with uncertainty, not daring to hope that she felt the same as he.

Bella smiled at him and ran her fingers through his forelock, pushing it back off his face. She lightly rubbed her hands over his arms, then wrapped her fingers around his, placing her thumbs against his pouty lower lip.

"Yeah." And she did. That was what scared her. "I know you think that I'll regret this when I'm sober. But I won't. I want you, Edward. I've thought far too much about this, for far too long, and it always ends up with me wanting you. Wanting to know you. Wanting to be with you. I know I should care what people will think about the Swan 'Heiress' dating a hotel maintenance man, but I no longer give a shit. I'm done with it; I've spent too long being what others want me to be. What just happened here between us is certainly enough to tell me that I'm making the right decision. So, fuck the rest of them. I want you."

"Potty-mouth." Edward grinned at her, trying not to show his glee at her admission. He would definitely be telling her everything, and soon. _Really, he would._

Bella merely hummed in agreement as Edward crawled up her body to resume his kissing mission.

* * *

_**I Wear My Sunglasses at Night**_

_Seattle, WA_

_-We love when little birdies tweet loudly, because it means we get to bring you the best and juiciest gossip out there!_

_Remember the mystery man that taught Heiress Swan a lesson all those months ago? Well he's back! __Not only that, he seems to be intimately familiar with Lady Isabella. [picture shown] This photo shows him leaving the Royal Swan at a very early time on Sunday morning, and from what we could learn, he was not a guest of the hotel. Well, at least, not a guest in the paying sense._

_Is it just coincidence that this same man happened to be at the hotel where the Heiress resides the morning after a party was thrown in her personal suite? We had friends at said party who told us that Heiress Bella was seen getting cozy with a someone matching Mystery Man's description while her sister was seen getting hot and heavy with none other than Jasper Hale. No shame there! _

_Hopefully, we will soon discover who the Heiress's Mystery Man is, and when we do, you can bet that we will bring it straight to you! _

Irina Denisov read daily articles in various gossip pages from all over the nation, but this story caught her eye. She leaned forward, studying the picture. The man was very familiar, but she just couldn't get an ID on him. She pulled up her database of images for local celebrities (being the forerunner on Chicago gossip and the head of the Chicago Sun-Times Entertainment section, she had a plethora) and began to search. Absently flipping through the hundreds upon hundreds of pictures, one in particular made her pause. Clicking back a few screens, she saw the photo that set off bells of recognition in her head.

"Bingo." She picked up the phone and dialed her former college roommate, who happened to be the columnist that penned the article of interest. She had forgotten how early it was on the west coast, however, and was surprised when her voicemail picked up. Having learned early on in the gossip field to never leave pertinent information in a recorded message that could be accessed by anyone, she left the simplest message she could.

"Tanya, it's Rini. You're going to want the info I've got on your mystery. Call me back at 312-555-6589."

* * *

**Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn**

**So there ya go. I know many of you were awaiting that little interlude. Teasers for reviews. Thanks for reading!**

**Recs:**

**All the Wild Horses by elusivetwilight **I like this so far, only 6 chapters in, but a good premise.

**Pistols and Petticoats by saltire884 **One of quite a few 'Western' genres that has come out lately, but I'm really enjoying this one. Beware of some extreme abuse though (not between E and B)

**Fridays at Noon by troublefollows1017** Bella is a waitress at a restaurant that wealthy Edward Masen frequents. Great tension and interaction.

**Dear Mr. Masen by jendonna **Bella works in the IT department where Edward is CFO. She has to email him about personal internet usage, and they strike up a rapport. All in email format. Very fun.


	15. Undercover Lover

**Twilight is not mine. Thanks Tosh, for fixing my mistakes. **

**

* * *

**

**Tuesday, two days after the party**

"Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh-shit, oh-shit, oh-shit. Not good. Not good at all." Alice kept re-reading the article in front of her, hoping in vain that it wasn't saying what she thought it was saying.

Edward had lied to Bella…all of them, really. She sincerely hoped that he had a damn good reason to have done so; if not, there was no guaranteeing his safety from Bella's wrath.

She'd hide the paper. Knowing Edward's motivation was the first step to enacting a disaster plan…which they were going to need. Therefore, until she had a chance to speak to Edward, Alice could not—under any circumstances—allow her sister to see the article. She'd _have_ to hide the paper.

As Bella wasn't yet awake, Alice stealthily snuck up to her suite and stole the paper laying in front of the doors. She then brought both her copy and her sister's back to her room, where she deposited them on the dining table. Dropping them like they were hot coals, she backed up a few feet, still staring at the pages. How was she going to maneuver around this?

It would look strange for her to contact Edward, considering she never had before. She knew that he hadn't seen Bella on Monday because there was an emergency in the hotel that he had to stay late and help fix. That meant that the last time they saw each other was...the night of the party when–-Bella had told her the next morning—they'd done the dirty deed. Oh, shit.

_Ok,_ she thought, _get Bella to invite him over tonight. Then, conveniently drop hints to him that you know who he is, and leave them alone with instructions to 'talk'. _

Sounded simple enough. _Right_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sunlight streamed in through the partially-open drapes in the living room, warming Bella's face and slowly bringing her back to the land of the living. She had accidentally spent the night on the couch, falling asleep watching television after briefly talking to Edward late the evening before. He hadn't been able to see her because of an extremely long and exhausting workday.

She also hadn't seen him on Sunday after he'd left her bed early in the morning, saying he had to go to his mother's house for breakfast. She had seen, however, the article about him leaving the hotel the night after her party. The gossip pages weren't all that entertaining any longer though, not when she actually had something she wanted to keep private. It was her plan for the evening to invite Edward over to hang out and hopefully talk about some things.

Mainly, if he would be okay with the scrutiny that dating her was sure to bring him. She didn't want to assume he would be accepting of it, and thought it would be better for them to discuss how they wanted to approach it.

Bella had to admit, when she thought about Edward being her boyfriend (for that was what she assumed would happen), she got a bit giddy. She hadn't had a real boyfriend in some time, and it was exciting. He occupied her thoughts, his voice licked through her veins, and his mere presence intoxicated her. _It was divine_.

Picking up the phone, she tried calling his number, but got voice mail. Discouraged, she attempted a text.

**Hey, you want to come over tonight?**

She put her phone down just as Alice burst through the door, singing out Bella's name in that sing-song manner of hers.

"Belly-welly!" Bella cringed at the childhood nickname; she wished Alice would forget all those old names already!

About to answer her, a buzzing interrupted the words coming out of her mouth.

_**Absolutely. Sorry, had a ceiling tile in my hands when you called. 7?**_

Grinning, she quickly typed and sent an affirmative answer, and then turned to her sister.

Alice wore a half-knowing, half-distressed look on her face, but minutely shook her head to snap herself out of it before Bella noticed. While she was thrilled to see her sister so happy and so _different_, she was afraid that would all be a wasted effort in a very short time.

"Edward?"

"Yeah, he's coming over tonight." Alice felt a rush of relief course through her, knowing she wouldn't have to con Bella into inviting him over.

"That's great. Any special plans?"

"Well, not really. I do kinda want to talk to him though. We need to figure out some things, I think." Alice nearly muttered '_You have no idea', _but held it back before pressing a little.

"Oh? Like what?"

Bella sighed, and then said, "I need to know if he is willing to take all my baggage. Everything that comes with dating me. Being in the public eye, weathering the stories that will be written and made up. Ali, I want this to work. I think this one is different." The hopeful look in her eye shot a bolt of pain through Alice's heart, the knowledge she held inside her felt as if it weighed a million pounds.

She knew that it wasn't going to be whether _Edward_ could deal with it all; the case would be whether Bella could. The article had made sure to point out how disgustingly perfect the older Cullen son seemed to be, and how revered he was in the Chicago society scene. She imagined he'd grown tired of it, and that was why he'd come to Seattle with his family to start over as someone new.

At least, she hoped that was the case.

Putting on her best smile and innocent eyes, she reassured Bella, "Oh, honey, if he's worth it, he will be just fine with it. In fact, I think there will be no problem whatsoever." Winking at her, she grabbed the television remote and turned it on, "Wheel of Fortune is on. Gotta keep my record intact." Bella snorted softly at her sister, settling back on the couch to wait for Edward.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_*Plunk*_

_*Plunk*_

_*Plunk*_

Bella flinched at whatever was hitting her in the face. Cracking an eye, she looked in the direction of where the projectiles were coming from, and spied Alice aiming a pretzel nugget at her head. "You asshole."

"You love me." Alice popped the pretzel in her mouth after Bella sat up, effectively ruining her fun.

Bella grunted noncommittally as she stretched, checking the time. _Shit, Edward will be here soon_, she thought. Throwing her ass into gear, she stood up and hustled to the bathroom to do a once-over. Make-up: still in place. Hair: sexily tousled. Clothes: slightly wrinkled, but acceptable.

She heard a faint knocking at the door, and then Alice's voice carried into her room. Edward had arrived.

Not even bothering to contain her grin, Bella nearly stumbled in her haste to get to Edward. She caught herself and leaned against the couch, suddenly trying to play it cool. "Hey." One corner of her mouth turned up in a suppressed smirk.

He didn't seem to be that great of an actor, either, judging by the way he smiled at her. He also wasn't one to play it cool...what he wanted, he went for. Striding over to the couch, he said a small 'hey' back before wrapping his hand behind her neck and pulling her in for a breathtaking kiss. Bella's arms moved of their own accord to grasp his shoulders, keeping her from melting onto the floor.

Bella stopped swooning long enough to poke fun. "Well, someone missed me."

Letting out a laugh, Edward nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you for two days after...well, you know." He snuck a look at Alice, who rolled her eyes.

"I'm well aware of your bedroom activities, Casanova. No need to censor for my sake."

"Oh, Alice, you're just frustrated because Jasper isn't here. Don't lie." Bella raised her eyebrows at her sister, who merely frowned and _harumphed_ in return.

"Well, about that..." Edward started to speak, but was interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by the entrance of none other than the man in question himself. "Seems I ran into a straggler downstairs."

Alice, completely forgetting herself, let out a squeak before running at Jasper and jumping at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his hips. His surprised '_oomph'_ was all he could respond with before they hit the ground. All four friends erupted in laughter at Alice's unexpected reaction while she and Jasper attempted to straighten themselves from the floor.

"Ah, fuck it! The floor works for me!" Alice gave up after falling back down too many times, content to make out with Jasper on the floor. The carpet was fluffy.

"While I am oh-so-entertained, I think we'll move to the bedroom...leave you two with the, um, _floor_." Bella waved her hand at her sister and Jasper, her laughter tapering off. She looked back to Edward and tilted her head, indicating they move locations. He nodded and they started to her room.

"Do you want a beer?"

"Sure." Edward smiled. She loved when he smiled, and vowed to make him do it more often.

Turning around to go to the kitchen, she waved him into her bedroom. He caught her wrist and pulled her to him, coaxing another kiss out of her. Chaste, but good Lord, what his lips did to her. Her heart skipped a beat, and they broke apart with a shared smile. She turned again to get his beer, and he took the opportunity to swat her on the ass, watching appreciatively as she walked away.

Bella reached the fridge and opened the door, staring in confusion. Where were Edward's Stellas? She knew there were some left over from the party. Thinking a moment, she recalled that the leftover alcohol was in Alice's suite as Mrs. Stanley had needed the shelf space in Bella's refrigerator.

Walking quickly to her bedroom, she poked her head in, "Hey, I have to run downstairs for a minute, I'll be right back, okay?"

"Hurry back." Edward flashed a devastating smile. _Oh, yes, she would be hurrying._

She slipped some shoes on and walked through the living room, taking note that the frottage had moved to the couch. "You know, you do live downstairs. With your own bed. I'm just saying." A few seconds went by with no response from Alice, and Bella shrugged, unnecessarily voicing her intended destination, "Okay, well, I'm going down to get Edward's beer. I'll be right back." Still nothing. _Alrighty then._

The elevator ride down was short, but long enough for Bella to think about what she wanted to say to Edward. She knew she wanted him, and didn't care what she had to do to keep him. If he wasn't comfortable with the media attention, she'd do what was needed to keep them as secret as he wanted. On the flip side, if he didn't give a shit who knew about them, she'd gladly shout it from the rooftops. Or at the very least, smile at the paparazzi while holding his hand.

The elevator dinged, signaling the arrival on Alice's floor. Bella walked up to her door and slipped the keycard in, entering the apartment. She quickly walked toward the kitchen, grabbing the beer out of the fridge. On her way back, she glanced around casually. Her periphery vision caught something slightly out of place on the dining room table. Intrigued, she changed direction to check it out.

There were two newspapers sitting there. She remembered that she hadn't seen her paper yet that day; she'd assumed that it was late getting delivered. _Why would Alice take it?_

It was folded to the gossip page. Frowning, she picked it up, noticing the picture.

It was Edward.

Only, the name they had on the caption was Edward _Cullen_, not Masen. _What the fuck was going on?_ The picture was of Edward and Emmett with a smiling, older couple.

The caption read: _(l to r) Edward, Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle Cullen arrive at the Field Museum charity gala._

Emmett was his brother? He was actually a high society person? So many questions borne from this one picture. She wasn't sure she wanted to continue reading.

Her eyes followed the words down the page, not believing what she was seeing. _There was no way._

He'd lied to her.

* * *

**Oh hey there. I've had this a few days, but didn't want to ruin any holidays...ha. Only a few chapters left here, not sure exactly how many. Sorry I didn't get to teasers for last chapter, but this was written fairly quickly, didn't have time to really send out before I posted, soooo I figured you might appreciate a full chapter instead. However, teasers will go out for reviews this time. **

**Recs:**

**Starry Eyed Inside by Rochelle Allison** I distinctly recall my high school days very similar to this...well at least some of it, ha.

**Righteous and Wicked by **Sex addict Edward and Catholic school teacher Bella...what's not to love?

**For Whom the Bell Tolls by CyraBear** Vamp Edward, very sexy

**The Plan by QuantumFizzx **I'm sure everyone and their mother has recced this, but I really enjoy it. Take it at face value. She's almost done, but it's been posting at real time. I think it will have the same effect when you read all at once, though.

**The Marksman by Melolabel **Another western, but complete, and very good. Sharpshooter/gunslinger Edward. Rawr.


	16. A Pounding, but Not the Good Kind

**Twilight is not mine. Thanks Tosh, you make me so much better.**

* * *

As the minutes ticked by, Edward started to worry. What could be taking her so long? All she had to do was go downstairs, grab the beer, and come back up.

He wandered out to the living room, encountering Alice and Jasper. Shielding his eyes from the Trojan condom commercial-in-waiting goo-goo eyes, he asked, "Hey, Alice, any idea why Bella has been gone for over twenty minutes? She just went downstairs, right?"

Alice surfaced long enough to respond. "Wait—she went downstairs? For what?" Her alarm wasn't missed by Edward.

"Alice, what's the problem? You look like you're about to throw up."

She chuckled nervously, then leapt to her feet quicker than a cat to a dinner bell and headed toward the door. Reaching to open it, she let out a surprised yelp when it instead flew open to reveal an irate Bella.

Edward was taken aback by her sudden and intense mood change; doom was written all over her face. He had no idea of the origin, though, because he didn't make a habit of reading the paper, and so he'd never seen that morning's article. However, he was about to.

"Get out." Bella stared at him steadily, crossed arms, set jaw, and her voice eerily calm in spite of the words she was stating.

"Bella, what's going on?" Every nerve in his body was set on high alert; something was very, very off.

Calm on the surface, but boiling inside, she responded, "Don't act like you don't know. I don't know what your game was, but it's over."

Edward was thoroughly puzzled. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what she could have possibly encountered during her trip to Alice's apartment to elicit such a reaction.

Scrunching his brow, he asked, "What game? I have no idea what you're talking about. What brought this on?"

"Edward, I am thisclose-" her hand came up, thumb and forefinger pressed together, "-to going all _Mommy Dearest_, '_No wire hangers!'_ on you. Don't. Fuck. With. Me." Her last words betrayed a slight tremble in her voice.

"Can you just-" Bella cut him off with a raise of her hand. The 'stop' was implied. He did.

"Just go." She nodded in the direction of the door and averted her eyes, afraid of what her reaction would be if she maintained contact; it was already all she could do to keep the tears at bay.

Edward felt it was best to listen to her, though he still had no idea what he had done to deserve the ousting. As he drew closer to her on his way out, he could see her nostrils flaring and her throat moving, as if she were swallowing compulsively, and he decided to risk one more plea.

"Bella, baby, please tell me what I did. I'm begging you." It was his turn for his voice to betray him.

She shook her head violently, mainly to hide the threatening tears. Edward continued through the door when she thrust the newspaper at him. He caught it before it fluttered to the ground, but didn't look at it immediately. "Bella?"

She waited to look at him until the last second, when the door was closing, and the last image he saw was of a tear sliding down her cheek. It broke him.

He stood staring at the door for a minute, perhaps more, trying to figure out what had happened, to no avail. He clenched his hands in frustration and realized that he still held the newspaper. Bringing it up and unfolding it, he gave it a cursory glance. The first thing he noticed was the picture, dead center. _Fuck_. _Fuck, fuck, FUCK_. He knew exactly what had happened, without even reading the accompanying article. He'd been a complete fucking idiot for not telling her already.

Edward wasn't the type to just give up on something: he went for it, balls out. Well, not literally—that would be kind of gross for bystanders—but he didn't fold under pressure, and he certainly didn't quit due to a few stumbling blocks.

Raising his fist to the door, he pounded sharply. "Bella! Please, let me explain!" He waited a few seconds and pounded again. "Please, please just let me in! Can't you give me a chance to explain?" Still no answer.

Bella listened to the banging on her door, each blast reverberating through her like a shockwave as the tears poured out of her relentlessly, punctuated by sudden and powerful sobs.

Alice felt helpless as her sister cried, and attempted to console her, but Bella jerked away from her touch. "Bella, honey, maybe he has a good reason for...doing what he did."

Connecting the dots, Bella inhaled sharply, then looked at her sister accusingly. "Did you know? Did you know he _lied_ to me?" Alice said nothing. "That's why you had two papers on your table, wasn't it? You took my paper, didn't you?"

Alice bit her lip in an attempt to stave off her own tears. "I was just trying to protect you! I was going to talk to him and try to get him to tell you on his own, I swear! I just...he made you happy, Bella. I want you to be _happy_, even if that means going to extreme lengths to make it so."

More pounding interrupted the argument. They could hear Edward pleading from the other side.

"Bella, give him a chance. Please." Alice pleaded with her sister to be reasonable, but no person sees reason when they feel betrayed.

Her throat tight with emotion, Bella barely managed to get the words out. "I think you should leave too, Alice. I need to be alone. I can't...just go. Please." The tears flowed freely.

Both women had forgotten about Jasper's presence. He came up behind Alice and gently guided her to the door, whispering comfortingly in her ear. He didn't know what had transpired that particular day, but he had known Edward's secret for much longer than Alice. He hoped she would understand why he'd kept it secret from her as well.

* * *

The door opened and Edward stood back up quickly-he had fallen to his knees while begging Bella through the door. He thought she'd granted his request and felt hope rise up in him, only to have it crash dramatically back down when the people exiting the suite were not who he wanted to see.

"Is she going to come out? Or let me in, at least?" Edward's eyes searched Alice's face, hoping beyond hope that she had good news.

"No. She kicked me out, too. I hid the paper, Edward. I didn't want her to see." Alice frowned.

"But, why?"

"Well, I hoped you had a good explanation. You made her happy, and I wanted that to continue." Blame poured out of her gaze as her eyes searched his face. "Why did you lie? Why didn't you tell her?"

Edward was at a loss; he'd wanted to tell Bella his reasons, not her sister. "Alice, if I tell you that I have very good reasons, but I want to give them to Bella directly...would you understand?"

Alice studied him for a moment, deciding upon how far she could trust him…_or throw him_. "Promise?"

"Pinky swear." Edward held out his hand, pinky upraised.

Alice waited a beat, then hooked her own little finger around his, and they shook their hands up and down in agreement. "You better make it good."

She looked at him long and hard, then shocked him by throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. "She needs you, Edward. I hope she lets you back in." She whispered to him after he squeezed her back.

"Thanks, Ali." Edward smiled at Jasper over the top of Alice's head, thanking him wordlessly for keeping his secret, and Jasper acknowledged him with a slight nod. Letting go of her, Jasper and Alice walked away, Jasper's arm around her.

Edward took a deep breath, releasing it in one long sigh; he wasn't going to give up. Turning back to the door, he knocked lighter than before, and simply begged.

"Bella, please. Please let me in. If I have to start apologizing out here, I'll do it. I'll do it in a loop, until you open the door. I'd rather do it while being able to face you though, so I know I'm not wasting my breath. I'm not leaving until you let me in." He imagined her on the other side, and put his hand flush to the door, pretending she did the same. It comforted him.

He leaned back against the wall and slid down, sitting on the floor. His position was close enough to the door that he could periodically knock and repeat his platitudes. He'd sleep in the hallway all night, if she forced him to. He'd do anything for her. He loved her. He knew that now. He hoped he'd get the chance to tell her that.

* * *

Bella had been wallowing in her bedroom after Alice and Jasper left, mainly because she wasn't ready to listen to Edward, and she wasn't sure when (or if) she would be. All she knew was that she'd been lied to and made a fool of. She had no idea who Edward really was; she'd allowed herself to fall in love with a stranger. For all she knew, he was a great actor and hadn't returned the feelings she had been certain were mutual.

She could hear the incessant knocking from Edward—still—and moved to the living room in hopes of drowning him out with the TV. Unfortunately, the only thing it succeeded in doing was allow her to hear Edward better.

"I'm not going away, Bella. You can't push me away. I won't let you." He picked at the carpet in the hallway, biding his time until his next plea.

His statement made Bella's breath catch, and she choked up again. How did he know just what to say? Instead of concentrating on the program on the screen, Bella found herself listening for Edward's next words. It wasn't a voluntary action, much to her chagrin.

"Bella, please. I will tell you everything, I swear, just let me in. You know how gossip pages can be. You've lived it. Please, let me tell my side."

She started nervously chewing on her fingernail. She couldn't deal with this. Not tonight. Not right now. Standing up, she walked to her room, shutting the door behind her. It was the only way.

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**Thanks for reading. Would have had this up a week ago, but poor Tosh had a computer crash, then I got busy with my birthday and being sick (bleh). Next chapter is almost done, so in lieu of teasers, I'll just get it finished up and posted, how's that? **

**Big thanks to my lovely buhbeesgirl, as she recced this over on PICFFCorner (dot)blogspot(dot)com. My sweet pre-reader. **

**Recs:**

**Click & Strum by bratty-vamp**

**A Pound of Flesh by jaxon22**


	17. Desperate Measures

**Twilight is not mine. **

**This has not been betaed, so any mistakes are mine. My poor Tosh is swamped in work. You don't understand how nervous I am about posting without someone telling me I can. omg. **

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Edward awoke, feeling stiff and sore from sleeping all night on the hotel hallway floor. Bella never had come to the door. His knuckles were red and a bit tender to the touch from knocking all night long, until he fell asleep.

It was still early, before his shift started. He needed to decide what to do in regards to work. He was afraid that if he left her hall now, she would play the avoidance game, and then who knew when the next time he'd see her would be? He couldn't take that chance.

He knew that there was always a place for him at his father's company, should he decide to rejoin the family business. Could he do it? Bella changed for him, in a manner of speaking. Could he go back to living the life she was accustomed to, that he'd tried to avoid for so long? He suddenly couldn't really remember why he lived that way.

He couldn't allow her to change her life to fit him. She'd already changed so much. If she ever let him explain and gave him another chance, he knew he'd have to take a leap to prove he was serious. She didn't avoid the fame or the spotlight. She didn't hide from the cameras and avoid the gossip. She met it all headlong. Could he take his place at her side? Was she worth it?

Absolutely.

He would do anything for her. The revelation made his next step blatantly apparent.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed his boss. "Mr. Banner? This is Edward. Look, I'm not going to make it in today. Hell, I'm actually not going to make it in tomorrow, either. I quit. Sorry." He pressed 'end' and turned to stare at the door, contemplating his next move.

She probably wouldn't wake up any time soon, if he knew her. He could get a bit more sleep in. Glancing at the floor, he grimaced in anticipation of discomfort. Sighing, he laid his head down, trying in vain to get comfortable.

The next time his eyes opened, it was early afternoon. _He must have been more tired than he thought. _He rubbed his eyes, coaxing himself alert. Suddenly, a scrape of metal signaled that the door was opening. Scrambling to his feet, he waited for Bella to appear from behind the door.

When she did, she stopped still at the sight of him. "Why are you here?" She asked, rather coldly.

"I told you I'd stay all night, Bella." Edward looked plaintively at her, hoping to make her understand just how shattered he was. "I need my chance to explain. Give me ten minutes. If you still want me gone after that, I'll leave, promise."

Bella regarded him with great caution. She wanted, more than anything, to allow him to plead his case and make her understand. She just wasn't sure if she could risk it.

"You can't come in." Edward nodded forlornly. "But you have ten minutes." His head snapped up, eager to confirm the words he had heard. She nodded once, and then crossed her arms, leaning against the door jamb.

Edward felt a great rush of relief throughout his body, just at the opportunity to come clean with her. He wasted no time.

"My real name is Edward Cullen. Masen is my mother's maiden name. You know that I came from Chicago, but I never told you who I was there. My parents are Carlisle and Esme Cullen, of The Cullen Foundation, a major contractor in Chicago. The company has been around a long time, back to the time of the Great Fire. Anyway, long story short, my family is on par with yours as far as notoriety and esteem...and money.

"The thing is, Bella-I don't care about it. Any of it. I've found that you never know who your friends are in company like that, and it just wasn't an ideal way for me to live...at the time." He thinks briefly about the decision he made that morning before quickly returning to his explanation for fear of running out of time.

"Bella, I came to Seattle to try to be someone else. I didn't want to get by on my name, or my looks. All that ever resulted in was women throwing themselves at me, not giving a shit who my favorite author was or why I liked the music I listened to. They just cared about my money. It got old, really quickly.

"I never meant to deceive you, and I certainly wasn't playing games. I had actually intended to tell you last night, but that stupid, fucking paper..._dammit_." His voice broke and he shoved his hand in his hair, gripping the strands as if he could change the past with sheer force. Bella's breath caught a little at the sudden movement, and she pressed her body more firmly against the door, lest she comfort him like her heart and body were screaming to do.

He raised his gaze to Bella's face, blazing eyes boring into her own. "You know me, Isabella. You _know _me. A name shouldn't make a damn bit of difference. I never changed myself, and I never acted as someone I wasn't. Can you blame me for wanting people to like me for _me_, instead of what family I'm from?"

Studying her face for a moment, he could see something there; a glimmer. She wanted to believe him. At that point, it was all or nothing. He'd let her know it all. _Everything_. Go for broke.

"Bella, when I first met you, I thought you were the biggest, most materialistic, most stuck-up snob there ever was. All I had heard about you was your elitist attitude and general bitchiness, and our first encounters backed that up. I listened to the gossip, Bella. For that, I deeply apologize. I judged you, just as I had a fear of being judged by others.

"Then, I got to know you. You were still stuck-up. You were still a bitch. But I liked you anyway. I saw past it, saw who you really were. I saw that it was all a shield." He smiled sadly at her, feeling the sting of tears. He willed them away before continuing. "It felt good to have someone show an interest in me without knowing or caring about my family or money. You of all people should understand that."

Bella's heartstrings were plucked, one by one, when she saw the defeated look in his eyes. She felt herself well up. Her lower lip trembled slightly and she had to look down, away from his pleading eyes, to control her emotions.

"I know I'm running out of time. I need you to know, Bella, that despite all your flaws, or maybe _because_ of them, I have found myself to be completely in love with you. I've watched you grow and change, and I'd love to think that I had something to do with that. I miss you when you aren't near, and can't imagine experiencing the road ahead without you around. I love the annoying way you suck your teeth when you watch TV, and how you unconsciously sing along with whatever music is playing—however off-key that singing is. I love how a missing bottle of nail polish becomes a national crisis. I love the way you show concern for your friends and family when you think no one is paying attention.

"I can't say it enough, Bella. I love you. I realized that as I was sitting out there this morning, thinking what an idiot I'd been for not telling you the truth sooner. I love you. I even quit my job for you, and am going to see about working for my dad. I _love_ you. I want to be the person you are proud to show off to the media, someone that doesn't shy away from it all. I'm done being that selfish person that feels the need to hide. It's because of you. I. Love. You. I can start saying it in different languages, if I must-"

"Shut up. Just shut up." Edward halted mid-sentence, staring into Bella's newly-raised eyes. She had tears streaming down her face, her nose was red from sniffling, and he was afraid she'd had enough. He prepared himself for her verdict. Her voice wobbled.

"You are a complete ass, and the dumbest smart guy I know." _Sniff._ "I understand why you did what you did. I don't like it, but I understand it." _Wipe away tears_. "You went over ten minutes." _Sniffle. "In spite of that_, I love you, too, ya big dummy."

Edward felt his heart swell to twice its size, if such a thing could happen. "Really? Are you...are you serious?" His feet moved instinctively in her direction, but she held a hand up to his chest, forcing him to pause.

She nodded slowly before making her point. "Don't you ever hurt me again, Edward Cullen. I will kick your ass from here back to Chicago, and feed you to the debutante sluts, testicles first."

Edward grinned and advanced the last two feet into her personal bubble. Wrapping one hand behind her neck and curling the other over her hip, he voiced his agreement. "Oh, I've no doubt you would, my love. No doubt at all."

Bella loosed a laugh that was half relieved, half exhausted, and brought her hands up to his face. "You quit your job for me?" she asked softly.

He nodded, pulling her a little closer, inch by inch. "I did. I'm ready, Bella. I can do this. I can live my life, the way it was meant to be lived. But only if you are there."

Bella's voice caught in her throat, causing her to clear it abruptly. "I want to be there, Edward. I want to be there so badly." She whispered the last two words, almost afraid to admit her weakness: him.

"Good, because I don't know if I could walk away from you. Ever." He finally pulled her face to his, smiling one last time before pressing his lips to hers, and feeling that surge of relief and need and want and lust course through his veins, igniting a fire within that seemed to spark a whole new life. He was hers, she was his, and both intended to stake their claim in the most carnal sense.

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**We aren't done. One more chapter. No epilogue. Please tell me your thoughts. **

**Recs: **

**My Viking by sheviking** I am obsessed with this. I'm big into period fics, and this one is awesome. I want more VikingWard. Like, yesterday.

**Unexpected Circumstances by Savage7289 **yes, another period fic. Sir Edward surprisingly chooses Isabella, the lowly handmaiden, to marry him after a tournament win. Orly, Sir Edward?

**Once More, with Feeling by WhatsMyNomDePlume **Bella and Edward are agents in a 'Magical' state department. They want each other, they hate each other...what ever will they do? Oh dear.

**Best Laid Schemes by ezrocksangel **Did I rec this? Can't recall. Anyway, angel is allowing me to beta her new story, which is awesome. Loosely based on the movie Easy A, it is fun.


	18. Something Better

**Twilight is not mine.**

**Last one, folks. Enjoy it. Thank you Tosh, sinical, and libby for reading this one. See you at the bottom.**

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The creak of the door behind them made Bella chuckle. "There's a job for you." She kissed Edward languidly with short, chaste pecks.

"I don't work for you any longer, my love." Edward smiled against her mouth, returning what she was dishing out. "You'll have to call down to Maintenance and ask them to fix it."

"Well, you know my track record with maintenance..." Bella trailed off, using her puppy-dog eyes on her counterpart. Edward narrowed his eyes at her feigned innocence. His fingers crept up her sides, tickling one bit at a time. She started giggling and squirming, attempting to get out of his grasp.

"You aren't going _any_where." Foreplay commenced, using silliness to cover up the uncertainty and eagerness until Bella found herself pressed up against her bedroom door, with Edward's hands flat on either side of her.

The heat from their stare could have warmed Seattle for a month. Edward's nose was close enough to Bella's that they shared the air between them, each feeling the hot release of breath from the other. To break the tension (albeit extremely sexy tension), Bella slipped her hand to the doorknob, turning it and causing them to stumble into her room.

Before she could get very far, Edward reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her forcefully to him. She reveled in the feeling of his hard body, and easily molded to fit his frame, discovering that his chest wasn't the _only_ hard thing on him.

A small moan slipped out of her mouth as his hands gripped her ass, bringing her even closer until you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

Edward felt he had some making up to do as their last tryst wasn't exactly a loving affair; it was more of a 'business time' deal. Horny and drunk, they had collapsed under their baser instincts, racing to the finish line. This time, he'd show her what it meant to be loved.

Slowly walking her backward to the bed, he turned her around so that her back was pressed to his chest, and he gently pushed his hips against her backside, the proof of his arousal evident.

He pivoted so that they faced the mirror over her dresser. Seeing their flushed faces and dilated pupils sent a rush of need through Bella, and she reached back to cup Edward's perfect little tush, her eyes rolling back at the increased feel of his erection nestled against her like it was its home.

Edward tucked his head down to Bella's neck, lightly kissing up and down between her ear and her collarbone. Every now and then, his tongue slipped out for a taste, and Bella felt she'd collapse in a gooey heap if he wasn't holding onto her tightly. She couldn't help the noises coming from her mouth.

Nearly coming undone, Bella spun in Edward's grasp, taking hold of his face. Their lips were hungry, meeting with the driving force of need and lust, and an undercurrent of pure love. Edward slipped his hands under her shirt, pulling it up her torso steadily and easily. Their mouths broke apart for the second it took to slip it over and off her head, and it was quickly dropped in a pile at their feet; Edward's shirt was next, in the interest of fairness. _Couldn't have only one of them topless. _

Edward's hands worked the clasp on Bella's bra, while her hands went to his jeans. Giving him a quick squeeze through the denim, (nearly making his knees give out in the process) she yanked on the button and pulled down the zipper. The cups of her bra fell away from her breasts, and she slipped the straps off, one at a time, before returning her attentions to him. His jeans were pushed over his ass and down his legs, where he finished removing them, masterfully using only his toes to do so, which allowed their mouths and chests to remain glued together.

Each reveled in the feel of the other's skin, the warmth, the smoothness, soft meeting hard.

Edward halted the frantic kissing, and Bella reluctantly disengaged her mouth from his.

"Lay back." He said it so quietly; she would have missed it if she hadn't been looking directly at him. She obliged, and he stood over her, caressing every curve with just his eyes. He was taking inventory of every location he wanted to touch, kiss, love. He started by picking up her left foot, lightly tracing the arch with his pinkie, causing her to giggle. Her giggling quotient seemed to increase dramatically in his presence, but it was fine with him. It made her boobs jiggle and jiggling boobs were never a bad thing.

His perusal continued up her ankle, whereupon his lips joined in on the task. She shivered in pleasure as his fingertip followed the curve of her calf, and then danced along the back of her knee. The warmth of his breath against her skin following the path of the tingles from his fingers left her sighing.

The actions were repeated on the other leg, until he cradled her hips with both hands and dragged his lips from bone to bone. His eyes rose to meet hers several times, gentle smiles passing between the two, and then he kissed his way up her stomach, pausing to lavish attention to both breasts-her nipples happily rising to the occasion.

Bella could feel his erection bobbing against her, and she squirmed a bit, trying to get it in _just_ the right place. Edward laughed, telling her 'not yet', before capturing her lips in his. Her hands went to his hair to pull him even closer, and the grinding they were doing down below made her temperature rise.

Edward's hand went between them, grasping his cock and pushing the tip against her clit, rubbing back and forth and in slow circles.

"You like that?" he murmured between kisses. All Bella could do was moan in reply, and push her hips toward his, desperately seeking contact. He had other plans, however.

Using his hand to push himself up and off her, Edward stood up at the end of the bed again, using her hips to pull her toward him while she stayed prone on the bed. It was the perfect angle to see everything while keeping his hands free to roam. Positioning himself, he slipped in a bit, then out, then back in, but never completely entering. Bella wanted to push her heels into his ass to force him in-and she did try-but he was so much stronger than her. He wanted her good and ready, so that when he did fully enter her, she would explode.

He leaned down to wrap his lips around her nipple, eliciting a guttural moan from her throat.

There was no way he'd last as long as he wanted to.

His right arm went under her waist and he put his knee up on the bed, lifting her more into the middle. Cupping her chin in his hands, he kissed her sweetly before warning, "I'm gonna make you cum so hard, you'll forget your name."

Bella could only reply, "Fuck, yes."

He pushed back into her, a little more than before, and Bella felt herself clench from the sensation after being deprived for so long. Edward reached toward the head of the mattress and curled his long fingers around it, getting a good grip. His free hand took one last trek down her body, stopping to massage and tease her breasts a little more, then his thumb met her clit, giving it a quick rub.

Bella pushed his shoulders back a little so she could see his face. "I love you, Edward."

He smiled at her declaration and repeated it, "I love you, too." Her eyes closed as she savored the sound of the words, and a small smile graced her face.

Edward chose that moment to sink all the way into her while pulling against the mattress, giving him the leverage to really get deep. Bella's eyes flew open as she gasped, her arms automatically wrapping around his back, and her hips responding to his out of instinct. She wasn't sure she'd ever experienced something so...filling.

Their eyes met, and they moved in a steady rhythm with Edward bending down every so often to pull her nipple into his lips. His pubic bone held steady, rhythmic pressure against her clit, sending shots of pleasure through her with every thrust. Her hands moved up his back, caressing his shoulder blades, fingers curling into his shoulders as she desperately pulled him closer and closer, but never close enough.

Their skin was becoming slick, and they were both approaching the pinnacle. The breaths coming quicker, the words and declarations more staccato and unfinished as sensations ran them straight to the edge. Going _over_ the edge was the end goal, however, so Edward moved his hands to cup Bella's bottom, creating a slight change of angle.

It was the Holy Grail of angles. Bella's cry of pleasure died in her throat as the tingles mounted in her belly, swirling and circling around until the explosion of fireworks and stars set her off. Her very vocal reaction then ricocheted into Edward, setting him off, as well.

The cacophony of voices went a little something like this:

"Oh my..._shit."_

"Holy. Jesus. Oh. My..."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, ohmygod..."

"Keep going...not done..."

Didn't matter who said what, because they all meant the same thing; it was the best sex either had ever experienced. Ever. Was it because of the love they shared? Perhaps. Probably. Most likely. Yes. Sex is always better with meaning behind it.

Edward collapsed against Bella, adjusting so he wasn't completely squishing her. His head found a home on her breasts, where it was quite content, and he listened to her galloping heart, smugly fist-pumping on the inside. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and he nearly purred in contentment.

"So, what was your name again?" He propped his chin on her breastbone, smiling expectantly.

Bella squinted at him, pretending to try to remember. "Queen Elizabeth?"

Laughing, he quipped, "I didn't mean who you _think_ you are, my dear." He winked, and she groaned at him before grabbing a spare pillow and walloping him in the head. He tickled her in retaliation, and she begged for mercy while laughing breathlessly.

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When both were calmed down enough, their minds turned to what they knew needed to be done. The Talk.

Edward crawled up the bed so he was lying parallel with Bella, and they each turned on their sides, propping their heads on their hands. Bella broke the spell first.

"Can I ask why you quit your job? Why you are making all these changes? I don't want you to lead a life you don't love. I don't want to be 'that' person who makes you change."

He smiled softly before answering, "I only opted to live the 'normal' life as a way to escape what I didn't like in my real life. I was looking for something better. And now, I've found it." Reaching across the bed, he picked up her free hand and kissed her knuckles, then continued holding it, rubbing the back with his thumb. "The job was just a job. Yes, I enjoyed it, but we both know there's no way I could have continued with it. I know I can do well in my father's company, also."

Bella's heart had clenched when he likened her to being that 'something better', and she squeezed his hand back. No one had ever made her feel like Edward did, and she saw what she had been missing all her life. He completed her. She felt better being who she was then, as opposed to the completely spoiled-rotten, little rich girl of months ago. Of course, she was still spoiled, but at least she was shedding the rotten rich girl part.

"I just want you to be sure. My life is considered fair game to the media, and they will do anything they can to make you look bad, make me look bad, make us look cheap. It's how they make money. People love drama. I can't fault them for it, really, but I don't want to pull you into that without you being completely willing."

Edward didn't even take the time to contemplate. "It doesn't matter, Bella. They can write what they want-and they will, I know-and we'll just go with the flow. If we don't give them material, they'll be hard-pressed to come up with anything bad."

He shrugged. "Anyway, it's nothing I haven't handled before." Pointing to his chest, he continued. "Heir, remember?" His follow-up grin made her laugh, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

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After chatting a while longer, Edward recalled that Bella had been headed somewhere when he had stopped her in her tracks at the door.

"Hey, where were you going earlier, anyway?

Bella paused in her motions of getting dressed to answer, "I was going to run some errands before meeting Alice for an early dinner. The errands are shot, but do you want to come with for dinner?"

"Yeah, but do you mind if we stopped by my place so I can change? I'm not sure Alice would appreciate smelling me from across the table..." He lifted his shirt by a finger, scrunching up his nose. Bella took a moment (or four) to appreciate the view of him without the shirt on, then nodded her acquiescence.

They gathered up jackets and purses (well, one), and left her suite, holding hands like a couple of teenagers.

The elevator ride was spent in passionate kisses and frantic gropes, ending with the smoothing of hair and wiping of mouths just before the doors opened. They shared a smile that spoke of secrets and love and anticipation as they stepped out into the lobby. The future looked rather bright, in both possibilities and flash bulbs.

The flashes were coming from outside, beyond the protective cocoon of the lobby. Word had apparently gotten out about their involvement (thanks to the article), and everyone wanted to be the first to catch the new couple together.

Bravely putting on a smile, Bella slipped her sunglasses on and reached for Edward's hand. He mirrored her actions, putting on his own shades and firmly clasped her hand in his. They began the trek through the lobby, bracing themselves against the coming fray.

Edward turned to her and said, "Hey, you know what would _really _get them in a tizzy?"

Bella raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What's that?"

"If I dropped to one knee and proposed." Bella froze, causing Edward to jerk backward as she halted his progress.

"You wouldn't."

He laughed, but reassured her, "No, not right now, but be prepared for the future, just in case. I have a bit of a spontaneous streak in me." There was that wink again. He was hanging out with Emmett too much.

She tilted her head forward, looking at him over her sunglasses. "Is that a promise?"

Treating her to his patented, killer smile (a little 'Risky Business'-esque Tom Cruise, if you were to ask Bella), he replied, "You know it, Heiress."

He pulled on her hand a bit, and she just laughed and shook her head, allowing him to envelope her.

Before they reached the doors, exposing their relationship to all, she tugged him down and whispered, "I love you. Let's get 'em."

A brief kiss, and then they were off, the doors opening and the flashes popping. Life in the gossip pages had never been better.

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**So. That's it. I really, really hope you enjoyed it. I tried to make it the best I could, but I know there is always unfinished business and unanswered questions. But that's ok. My job was to tell the beginning of their story; your job is to keep it going in your head, if you want. I 99% likely will not be returning to our heirs. I don't even have another fanfic imagined. While writing my two stories, I got an idea for a completely original story, and I have begun the process of writing my own characters, my own world, and I have to say, I dig it. It's fun playing God when nothing bad can happen. ;)**

**I may do one-shots here and there, and while I'm not ruling out future stories, I will be concentrating on my own work for some time. I've really, truly appreciated all of you reading and reviewing, all my Twitter supporters and pimps, so to speak. This story took FAR too long to complete, and I thank you all for hanging in there. I'd appreciate one *last* review, letting me know if you enjoyed it, if you thought it was crap, if you liked anything specific, if you wondered about anything I hadn't written, etc. I will respond to all the reviews for this last chapter, promise. **

**Thank you Tosh, seriously, without you, this would be a mess. You've hung in there with me through both stories, and I love you. Thank you to all pre-readers and anyone who talked about this fic on any site, on Twitter, recced me in their own update, etc. You guys are awesome, and make a girl feel all special inside. Hugs and shit to you all.**

_Final Rec:_

**Across the Universes by FantasyMother **Really cool cross-over of AU and AH, and I've started her sequel as well, even though I generally don't 'do' them.


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